I talk a lot about the importance of creating healthy positive habits. But talking and brainstorming is the easy part of the process. The hard part is knowing how to stick with them!
And what if you’re tackling something super ambitious… or something that’s brand new for you such as managing your newly diagnosed diabetes or transforming your dead-end dating history?
These ideas will give you an extra boost:
- Practice compassion. You’re bound to slip up occasionally. Forgive yourself for past mistakes and understand that those missteps, mishaps, and poor decisions have helped you to evolve as a person. Learn whatever lesson you need to learn. Forgive yourself and others. Now, move forward.
- Team up. Enlist a friend or get an accountability buddy so you can exchange support and encouragement. Eat lunch with a colleague who is trying to lose weight too, join an online support group or track your progress with a cool app. (My faves are Lose It! for weight loss, CBT-i Coach for sleep, and Insight Timer for meditation & mindfulness)
- Write it down. Raise your awareness by keeping a journal about your campaign to stop judging, swearing or to start flossing. Note what happens on the days you stick to your program compared to the days when you drift back into old patterns.
- Remove temptations. Eliminate the triggers that distract you from your objectives. Clear the junk food out of your kitchen or the cigarettes out of your car. Clear your mind of past transgressions through mindfulness and meditation so you’re not ruminating on events or conversations from the past.
- Design obstacles. Make it difficult to give in to your old tendencies. Leave your credit cards at home to prevent impulsive shopping. Remove social media apps from your phone to eliminate wasted time. You can always browse after work or while you’re walking on your treadmill.
- Go on vacation. Leave home for a while. Vacations are an ideal time to forge new habits because you can make a fresh start in different surroundings.
- Try meditating, prayer, or reading something inspirational each morning instead of jumping right into checking your email. Begin your day with positive words, thoughts, and intention.
Healthy habits make advantageous choices automatic (and visa versa) so you’ll stick with them. You’ll also have more energy and a clearer head to devote to the things and people you love.
