Dr. Slava Shut

We’ve all done it, we’ve all told ourselves something like, “I’m gonna start jogging tomorrow, and I’ll do it 7 days a week!” So, the first morning, you go for a jog, feel those endorphins, and are so excited to do it the next day. But, the next morning, you sleep past your alarm. You tell yourself you’ll do it later that night…until a friend invites you out for dinner. So, you give yourself a break, say you’ll pick it up again tomorrow, but then you wake up and notice that it’s ten degrees colder than it was yesterday. “It’s way too cold,” you say, “I’ll go later.”

Before long, you’ve quit running altogether.

Trust me, you’re not alone. It’s been shown that somewhere between 81 and 92 percent of New Year’s Resolutions fail. So, what can you do to make sure that your new habit sticks? Here are a couple of tips:

1. Recognize That You Already Have Habits

Whether we realize it or not, habits account for roughly 40 percent of our day. What time we wake up, what and when we eat, scheduled weekly meetings and events. A lot of these habits you stick to without even realizing it or are connected to things like your income or family schedule. But if you feel like habits are intimidating, just remember that you’re already more than capable of establishing one.

2. Remember That Habits are Long-Term

Let’s go back to our jogging example. Maybe you want to start running to lose weight. While it’s okay to want to improve your health, recognize that habits aren’t established to solve a short-term problem. For example, if you lose the amount of weight you want to, then stop jogging or return your diet back to what it was previously, before long you’ll put that weight back on. Remember that when you start a habit, it’s one meant to be long-term, so make sure it’s enjoyable!

3. Prepare Accordingly

Remember that investment is a part of establishing a new habit as well. If you want to start running, get a pair of good running shoes. Make sure you have workout clothes readily available. Set yourself up for success as much as you can.

4. Make It So Easy, You Can’t Say No

Scale your goal down to something incredibly easy. For example, instead of saying that you’ll jog every day for 7 days, that you’ll walk 1,000 extra steps a day. That could be a small walk in the morning, some extra movement during the day at work, or a jog at night. Either way, it’s an easily attainable goal that you know you can reach and is an excellent place to start to establish your habit.

5. Increase in Increments

Once you have a solid baseline, increase slowly. Go from 1,000 extra steps to 2,000, then 3,000 and so on. Though it may feel like you’re moving slow, remember that 1 percent increases will build up over time. On the flip side, a 1 percent incline is better than no movement at all (or a 1 percent decline).

6. Expect Failure

I’ve said it before, failure is a part of life – we’re only human, after all! But instead of thinking about whether or not you’ll slip up, think about how best to get back on track as quickly as possible. Forgive yourself, understand that it’s okay to experience life. For example, let’s say you went with friends to a concert instead of running – that’s okay! You were able to create an amazing memory with friends, and because you’ve already established a good foundation that you know is achievable, you’ll feel ready to get back in the saddle the next day without shame or judgment.

I hope these tips have made you feel energized and ready to take the leap to start implementing your habit today. What habit do you want to start and what’s the first step you’ll take?