The new year always inspires motivation for new personal and professional goals. Some common pitfalls that we all get into are 1) our goals are often too big, 2) they lack specificity in how they will be achieved, 3) we rely too much on motivation, 4) and it can be hard to continue once the novelty wears off.
However, we are not doomed to fall short. The best way to make lasting lifestyle change is to take those goals or resolutions and break them down into small habits that become engrained in who we are and what we do.
10 Strategies to Build Healthy Habits
Start tiny. When you start small, your ability to do the habit is high regardless of motivation. The easier it is for you in the beginning, the more likely it is that you will continue. You are training your brain to do the habit, and every rep counts.
Be specific. Write out specific details for your habits. What are you going to do? When are you going to do it? How are you going to do it? Thinking of these details ahead of time removes ambiguity and makes it easier to get started because you know exactly what you are going to do.
Make it convenient. Choose habits that are easy for you to do. Removing barriers increases your ability to perform the habit, so you need less motivation.
Prime your environment. Set up your environment, so it is easy to perform the habit. This enhances your ability. Environmental cues are powerful nudges towards behavior. For example, if you want to start walking daily, lay out your gym shoes, exercise clothes and water bottle in plain sight the night before.
Set up cues or reminders. Cues and reminders help nudge us towards our habits when our brains are learning to make them automatic. Set up a reminder on your smart phone, schedule it in your calendar, or write it on paper, post it note, etc.
Create accountability. Recruit someone in your network to start working on these habits with you and check in with each other. Support from others who are pursuing similar goals can help you stay on track. You can also gain accountability from using tools such as wearable fitness devices or mobile apps.
Make it enjoyable. We are more likely to repeat habits that we enjoy. Often, habits that are enjoyable for us to do are also the ones that are easy and convenient. If the habit is not inherently enjoyable, find a way to add enjoyment to it. For example, if walking on a treadmill is the most convenient physical activity, but you get bored, try walking to your favorite tv show, music, podcast, etc.
Stack your habits. Stack a new habit that you want to do on top of another habit you already do every day. This is a “prompt” that can remind you to complete your habit and creates a stronger connection for the new habit you are practicing. The formula looks like this: “After I do my current habit, I will perform my new habit.”
Avoid the all or nothing mentality. Getting stuck in the mindset that you need to be perfect makes it challenging to keep going. It can be easy to give up completely once we realize we are not on track to complete our habits. However, some is always better than nothing. Remind yourself that the goal is progress and not perfection. Writing out a few daily “wins” or things that went well each week can help your mindset stay positive.
Track your progress. Tracking your progress is a great way to get feedback on your habits and celebrate your progress. Seeing how far you’ve come can be motivating and create a sense of accomplishment and positive feelings associated with your habit. Tracking also helps us keep our goals at the forefront of our mind, so we are less likely to forget about them. Track on paper or your calendar, or use an app.
Habit Resources
Power of Habit
by Charles Duhigg
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything by BJ Fogg
Atomic Habits
by James Clear
Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes Stick
by Wendy Wood
Need some additional support and accountability for developing healthy habits? A liveWELL Health Coach can help. Contact liveWELL at livewell@uiowa.edu or 319-353-2973.
This article originally appeared in the liveWELL 2022 Winter Employee Well-Being Newsletter.