How to start and stick to your New Year’s Resolutions, any day, any time
The key is by creating long-lasting habits. Easier said than done, but in this blog post I break down for you the step-by-step process that has worked for me and my clients.
Habits > Resolutions. Why? Because resolutions are temporary. They represent a finish line and often miss the big picture. When we focus on creating habits instead, we are thinking BIG and that’s incredibly important if you want to change your life for the better. Resolutions are tied to results, habits are tied to feelings– those feelings of accomplishment, pride, and joy you get when you know that you’ve done something good for yourself.
“Habits are the behaviors that I want to follow forever, without decision, without debate, no stopping, no finish lines…” Gretchen Rubin
Something that has helped me immensely is focusing on the steps needed to get done and not on the finish line itself. For example, I recently signed up for driving lessons (yes, at 27 years old!). For many years, I put off driving because “I didn’t need a license” or “I didn’t need to drive”. I was primarily focused on the end goal: that valuable piece of plastic that is a driver’s license. But here’s the deal, getting my driver’s license was a part of my New Year’s resolution for the past five years and I never got to do it until just recently. Why? Because I stopped focusing on the outcome (the license) and instead, focused on the process (taking driving lessons). That mild shift changed everything. Rather than thinking about how useless a driver’s license would be at this point (because I have no intention of getting a car soon), I started focusing on the feelings of accomplishment that I was going to experience once I’ve had that checked off my list.
As a holistic nutritionist, I’ve done the “healthy” thing for a while. I can tell you that health goals and resolutions are no different. We need to focus on the process. In other words, (as cliché as it may sound) it’s all about the journey, not the destination. In my experience, there are four keys that you should do to create new habits. Remember, we want to create habits, not make resolutions.
#1: Monitor
Monitoring our current habits is extremely important because that’s where everything starts. You might have done that, hence why you have some New Year’s resolutions.
For instance, If you don’t eat healthily but you want to start to, you may want to monitor those unhealthy eating habits that you may carry. For example, you might drink too much soda, or eat highly processed foods multiple times a day. Monitoring is key because it will help you understand which direction you should take. A person who drinks too much soda or sugary drinks may need to switch to water and herbals teas, but for a person who eats too many processed foods, then the solution would be almost entirely different: they may need to focus on eating more homemade, whole foods.
Pay attention to *THAT* thing hindering your progress. There’s a chance that it might be multiple things, but I always advise you to start with one thing at a time and then build upon it.
Gretchen Rubin, in her book Better than Before, couldn’t have said it better: “I should monitor whatever is essential to me. In that way, I ensure my life reflects my values.”
#2: Habit-Stacking
Tying a new habit to an old one is one of the most effective tools to ensure you get things done. For example:
If you want to develop a new habit: I’ll take a yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday after work
If you want to remember to do something: I’ll take my vitamins with breakfast
If you want to strengthen your interpersonal relationships: I’ll call a different friend each day while I walk the dog.
Habit-stacking is incredibly powerful. Think of the habits you already have and do without thinking, then add onto them– it works like magic.
#3: Be “process-oriented” rather than “goal-oriented”
I don’t do one-hour workouts every day, yet I do make it a point to move my body daily. The reality is that not everybody can allocate one hour of their day to working out, but I can assure you, if you are reading this you do have ten minutes in your day to do a short workout. The calories burned don’t matter. You’re here for the long run. Workout for 10 minutes today and cross it off your list.
Something similar happens when people want to lose some extra pounds. We get too caught up on the number on the scale that we forget to enjoy the process of nourishing and moving our bodies in ways that is healthy and in alignment with who we want to be.
Other examples are when we set ourselves financial goals. It’s not about the amount of money you make by the end of the quarter. If you shift your energy instead of the things you’ve learned along the way while trying to scale your business, the goal is secondary. It’s all about the process.
#4: Plan and anticipate
Out of sight, out of mind. That’s why I like to write everything down. You may notice that once you start implementing more than one new habit at a time that you might forget from time to time. I like to get a piece of paper (phones are distracting) and write the things I want to get done the next day. By writing everything down, I also make sure I keep things realistic. If I know I have three client calls in a day, it is only natural not to plan for a full, one-hour workout. By doing that I anticipate what I will need and adjust accordingly. It has been life-changing!
To recap:
Monitor your current habits. Stack new habits to old ones. Enjoy the ride. Plan ahead. That’s my simple formula to make sure you crush your goals and live a life with intention and alignment. I work on habit-setting with my clients and the results have been incredible. If you would like to work 1:1 with me, you can apply here.
See you next time!
-Mariu Cabral, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.