HOW TO CREATE CHANGE THAT LASTS

What habits aren’t serving you?

Here are some tips to make new habits stick:

1. Identify your “why”

• This is your “purpose statement” and it’s the backbone of everything. You have to have a strong, powerful purpose behind your desire to change an ingrained habit. Really think about what you want to achieve from this change. Imagine how your life will be different once you make that change. Close your eyes and really see it and feel how it will be once you have more energy to play with your children, have the freedom to go in public without the panic of not being able to find a restroom, to [insert your why here].
• It should be aligned with your values. What is most important to YOU?—Family? Travel?
• Identify what it will mean to you to achieve these goals. How will your life be better?

2. Small steps

• Don’t overhaul everything at once. It may work in the short-term, but it’s not sustainable. Here is a more sustainable approach: 
• Pick one new habit to try, then do it…every day for a week, 2 weeks, a month…however long it takes to “stick”. Once you have that one down, you can introduce another change. Maybe this looks like adding a serving of vegetables every day for two weeks, then adding another. Or maybe you want to be more active so you might try a 20-minute walk after dinner each night. Whatever you choose, make this goal attainable and realistic. Once you hit it, celebrate your success, then add the next one!

3. Have a plan—set yourself up for success

• How will you do it? What does this look like?
• What possible barriers will you face and how will you overcome them? How can you anticipate or plan for those barriers? For example, time is an issue for a lot of us. Our lives are busy. If you have a plan and make your goal an important priority, you’ll never again say “I’m too busy” to spend a few extra minutes preparing a fresh, healthy meal or “I’m too busy” to grab my fresh ingredients at the store to have on hand for my meals for the week, or “I’m too busy to take that walk after dinner”. Plan ahead.

4. Always remember that healthy changes are a choice

• Shift your mindset by reviewing your purpose statement. Once you see that it’s bigger than just that one donut or giant bag of chips you want to eat, it’s easier to not eat that donut. Keep your goals, your why, and your plans at the forefront of your mind and it will be easier to consistently make healthy choices. Remind yourself how good you feel when you do your new healthy habit.
• Remembering that you are *choosing* this healthy lifestyle will make you feel confident and empowered.

5. Accept that you might “fall off the wagon”

• If you “fall off the wagon”, which is very likely going to happen, it’s okay. Be patient with yourself and keep it in perspective. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t beat yourself up or allow yourself to spiral downward. Accept     that you didn’t make the best decision and resume that healthy habit tomorrow.

Use this opportunity as feedback and learn from it. Ask yourself what’s working for you and what’s not? Was this the product of poor planning? Were you stressed? Identify what happened and consider how you can choose differently next time.

6. Revisit your why

• When you get stuck or get off track, feel discouraged or aren’t seeing the results you expected, go back to your why from #1—it can help to write this down so that you can revisit it regularly. Remember…lifestyle changes take time.