Creating Habits That Stick
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Start at the start.
Instead of focusing on the end goal, like “I want to lose weight,” focus on how you’ll start.
Example: I’ll pack a healthy lunch to work three times a week.
“Optimize for the starting line, not the finish line.”
– James Clear, author of New York Times best-seller Atomic Habits
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Take baby steps.
Start with small goals and build on them over time to keep from feeling overwhelmed and giving up.
Example: I’m going to include a vegetable with every meal (rather than trying to radically overhaul my entire diet right from the start).
“…if you try to control or change too many things at once, you may exhaust yourself completely. This failure says nothing about your virtue–just about the nature of willpower itself.”
– Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and Stanford lecturer, from her best-selling book The Willpower Instinct
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Get down to the details.
Setting specific, detailed goals improves your chances for success.
Example: I’m going for a 30-minute walk right after work every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
“Goal-setting theory shows across hundreds of studies that challenging, specific, and concrete goals are powerful motivators and boost success in goal pursuit…”
– Bettina Höchli, Adrian Brügger, and Claude Messner, authors of a study published in the National Library of Medicine
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Try meditation.
A growing body of research shows regular meditation can help people achieve their goals, including things like losing weight or staying sober.
Example: I’m going to carve out 5 minutes, three times a week, to sit still, close my eyes, and simply focus on my breath.
“Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.”
– Ajahn Brahm, popular Buddhist teacher and meditation expert
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Don’t give up.
Remember that you’ll have days where you fail, days where you want to quit, days where you feel your goal isn’t worth all this effort. When those days come, be kind to yourself, reflect on the progress you’ve already made, and start again the next day.
Example: I overate at the party, but instead of beating myself up about it, I’ll start tomorrow with a healthy, protein-rich breakfast.
“As long as we keep pushing forward, we’ll keep improving ourselves. It’s okay if we’re not the best at the moment because the secret to progress and continuous growth lies in persistence.”
– Jay Shetty, best-selling author and award-winning podcast host
