HOW TO CREATE GOOD HABITS & MAKE THEM STICK

MAKE NEW HABITS. MAKE THEM STICK.

Tomorrow is my official start to 2016. It’s my return to work after a long Christmas and New Years break, and it’s the moment I’ll start to put my New Years resolutions and blog goals into action. For me 2016 is all about positive change, but most importantly It’s change that sticks.

For me, my resolutions and goals aren’t short term targets, they’re longer term, more lifestyle based ambitions, and that means forming new positive habits, and making them stick too. In many ways I’m really good at creating habits and routines and committing to them with discipline (blogging for example), but in other ways i’m useless, if my brain isn’t fully committed or engaged, I just won’t stick to it. This year I have a few resolutions which will require that commitment to make them work, getting my health & fitness on track, redefining my work-life balance, and generally just living a little more #NotSorry.

So today I thought i’d share 5 ways that will not only help you (and me) create good habits, but also to make them stick too.

5 WAYS TO HELP YOU CREATE POSITIVE LIFE CHANGES

#1 Motivation

First things first, I think to form a new habit and make life changes (as opposed to fad or short term changes) you need to be motivated. It’s no good trying to force yourself to create change or to work towards something unless you really want to, unless you feel passionate about it and unless you feel motivated. It’s amazing how the mind can spur you on, or slow you down when you’re trying to achieve something.

#2 Small Steps

More often than not, we fail at forming new positive habits because we’ve overwhelmed ourselves by the task in hand. I find the best way to make change is to make it slowly, start with small steps that over time will help you ladder up to your over all goal. For example if you want to lose weight or tone up, rather than give yourself a mammoth target, start with a few small changes (like adding a fitness class to your weekly schedule & cutting out that 11am snack), you’ll find the process so much easier and the results will shine in no time at all.

#3 Don’t over commit

Closely linked to taking small steps, is also not to over commit. Namely that means don’t take on so much that you don’t give yourself the time or the chance to form these new habits. Ensure you free up time in your diary to give yourself the opportunity to do new things, to settle in your new habits & to take on these new positive life changes. Often sacrifice is required, so be prepared to make the change.

#4 Make it fun

If you want to form new habits & create positive change, then you have to make it fun. Life should be enjoyable and you should fill it with things that make you content and happy. So if you’re trying to form new habits, make the process fun, you’re far more likely to stick to it & enjoy it too. Back to the fitness analogy, weight loss doesn’t need to be a restrictive, dull and socially awkward diet, exercise and healthy eating can be really fun. Mix things up, keep it fresh & work out a way to make it enjoyable for you.

#5 Positive reinforcement

And an important point to finish on. Positive reinforcement. For me, motivation is fed by achievement. The better I do, the more achieve, the more spurred on I feel to keep going, to do more, and to try harder. Set yourself small goals, with small steps, and be sure to congratulate and reward yourself when you achieve at each stage.

Positive reinforcement is key to forming new, long lasting habits.

Did you find these tips helpful at all? What tips do you have to help me form positive new habits … and of course make them stick too.