8 easy ways to create lasting habits!

1/14/2019

Are you struggling to keep up with your New Year's resolution or the new healthy habit you've always wanted to have? Read on for 8 ways to make them easy to keep!

white table with laptop, schedules, and office supplies

We're halfway through January and most people are killing it at the gym or with whatever resolution they decided to give a go. The problem is that now we're reaching the point where it gets hard.

The first week or two you bounce out of bed, full of excitement for the new life you're living. You happily throw spinach into your blender and you meditate for thirty minutes each day.

But after that initial rush, life happens. You miss a workout, you grab Burger King after a long day at work, and you totally forget to write in your journal. Then you mess up another day, and then you figure "well this day is already ruined" and binge on a tub of ice cream. Sound familiar? It sure does for me.

One of the most important things to remember is that everyone messes up. Everyone has days where things just don't work out. Unless you fancy yourself the Goddess of Perfection, you just have to accept that and make your next decision better. It's as simple as that.

Now, with that said, there are things you can do to ensure as much success as possible with your new habits. Today I'm sharing 8 ways to make your new lifestyle as easy as possible to pull off.

1. Make it easy to do

We only have so much willpower in a day, so why make it hard to fulfill your goal? Here are a few examples of what you can do:

If you want to write in a gratitude journal every night, keep it on your nightstand with a pen. Or even better, place it on your pillow!
If you want to stop being late for work, lay out your clothes the night before, pack your bag or briefcase, and have snacks ready to grab and go.
If you want to eat less junk food, don't keep it in the house. Now you only have to have willpower in the grocery store which is easy since you're going there with a full stomach and a grocery list, right? Right?
On that note, meal plan! And prep lunch boxes for the week so you don't have to worry about the cafeteria choices. A lot of "failures" in eating healthy is simply decision fatigue and going the easy route. If it clearly states that today you're making a chicken breast stir-fry, and you have all the ingredients, you don't have to make any decisions -- just follow your own orders.
If you want to exercise more, sleep in your workout clothes and keep your shoes by the bed. If you work out after or during work, keep a gym bag in your car so you're always ready for a sweat session.

2. Schedule it in

I keep a weekly and monthly schedule of everything from appointments and parties to business tasks and cleaning chores. Treat your workouts/guitar practice/daily meditation the same way and pencil in a specific time to do them.

Related article: How to schedule your day -- A guide for the easily overwhelmed

3. Set alarms

I forget things really easily, so in addition to writing appointments down I also set alarms to remind me half an hour before I have to leave the house. Do the same thing for your New Year's resolution! Make a daily "7 p.m. yoga" alarm to avoid getting stuck in front of the TV and suddenly realize it's time for bed.

alarm clock on striped pink and teal background

Photo by Icons8 team

4. Give yourself incentive to do it

Chances are you like your money, right? So if you're having trouble following through on your commitments, fine yourself if you don't do it! Here are a few ways to do this:

Give $500 (or whatever amount makes sense for you) to a friend, and only get it back if you keep your resolution.
If you go to the spinning class, put a dollar in a jar that goes to new workout clothes. If you skip it, put the money in another jar for charity. (Which, you know, you could do anyway to be nice. But the point is that you're losing the money. ;) )
There are loads of apps available that fines or rewards you for your workouts, veggie intake, or meal logging. Read reviews and find the one for you!

5. Get an accountability buddy

This can be anything from a workout partner or a personal trainer to a friend that you send a picture of yourself meal prepping. We are more likely to disappoint ourselves than a friend, strangely enough, so get someone you can't let down!

6. Don't be over-ambitious

I know that you're eager to completely transform your life, but do you remember what I said about a finite amount of willpower? If you decide to do ALL THE THINGS you'll likely end up like the majority of the January gym goers -- back where you started. Pick one or two habits, the ones you feel will give you the most momentum or make the biggest impact in your life, and make them stick before you add more.

On that note, be careful to not overdo it with exercise. While doing something every day is the best way to form a habit, it will quickly make you burn out if you do too much physically. Working out every day is great, but don't decide to do a daily two-hour session. Do three to four proper sessions a week and a relaxing yoga sequence on the other days. You still do something healthy with your body, but you also give yourself time to recover both physically and mentally.

blonde holding the feet of a brunette doing sit-ups on a pink yoga mat

Photo by Bruce Mars

7. It doesn't have to be perfect or exactly what you planned

In my ideal world, and how it used to be for me, I could do an hour-long weight-lifting session three times a week, run on the days in between, and still be on my feet all day at work. Then I got chronic Lyme disease and I had to reassess my whole fitness lifestyle.

It was tough at first to deal with, and honestly it still sucks, but I've learned to be grateful for the physical activity I can do because just a few months ago I could barely walk the dogs. So whether it's a twenty-minute workout or just a full-body stretch, I still consider it a win. You need to look at your goal in the same way!

Any step in the right direction, no matter how small,
is still a step in the right direction.

If you don't have time for the workout you had planned, do a quick body-weight workout instead.
If you absolutely don't have time to cook food, make the best choices you can with what you have.
If you forgot to practice the piano, just play a quick song before bed.
If you aspire to write a chapter in your novel every week, but you've got writer's block, write in your journal instead about your day. At least you're writing!

8. Don't feel bad about living life

It's important to recognize when you need to make exceptions. During one of my 100% paleo periods I made my grandma really sad because I wouldn't eat the cakes and cookies she had made for our visit. Yes, I had great self-discipline, and I'm very proud of that. But having a small slice would have made her happy and it wouldn't have hurt my results.

It's the same way with birthday cakes, going to the bar with your friends, or needing the extra hour of sleep. Sometimes it's okay to stray from your goals in favor of enjoying life or simply just recovering and giving yourself a break. Because why are we doing this, if not for living a good life?

girl in glasses sitting in window petting fluffy rabbit

Photo by Helena Lopes

The most important part is to not give up. You're going to miss some workouts, you're going to eat junk food, and you're going to get discouraged. This is just life. Do your best, don't forget to enjoy the process, and get help where you need it. Make sure to grab my free mental health planner bundle below to help you out! It's got everything from a workout tracker and daily planner to a weekly gratitude journal and self-care planner. Now keep working on your goals and make this the year you want it to be!