JOHNSON, Ark. — We all entered 2021 with different goals and ideas of what we wanted to work on.
According to U.S. News & World Report, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. If that happened to you, you don’t have to wait until January to repeat the cycle all over again.
Look back at one thing you wanted to achieve this year that didn’t exactly pan out and take action now by creating bite-sized, buildable habits that get you closer to a goal.
If your goal was to get healthier, first of all, your intention wasn't specific enough to give you motivation throughout the year. Reword that to say something along the lines of, "I want to get healthier by eating more vegetables and exercising 30 minutes a day."
Those are small, realistic changes you can make right now.
Schedule a specific time you're going to work out and write down what you're going to do so you stick to your plan. Think of it as a non-negotiable appointment or meeting.
Make your morning routine easier by laying out your shoes, socks and workout clothes the night before.
You can't eat more vegetables if you don't have them in the house. Go to the store and prepare them when you get home so they're ready to easily incorporate into your meals throughout the week.
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits would call this “habit stacking.”
Little changes go a long way no matter what your goal is.
The reason why most New Year's resolutions fail is because you're trying to make too many changes at once, and you're not being specific enough.
Creating new habits drastically different than your current lifestyle is hard to start and even harder to keep.
Find tangible ways to measure your progress and hold yourself accountable.
Finish the year strong instead of waiting on a new one to start.