How To Successfully Form A New Habit

If you’re like me, you have many new habits (or goals) you’d like to accomplish in 2017. Generally, I know I’d like to wake up earlier, work out more frequently, and eat more greens. Whatever your habit may be, it’s important to not overwhelm yourself. It indeed takes time to make any new habit apart of your life. Not sure how to get yourself on track? Here are my 4 tips to successfully form your new habit!

Make A Plan

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”, Benjamin Franklin once said. I totally agree as changing or adding something into your life is challenging, in which, planning is crucial. In creating your plan, make sure your habit is specific as well as realistic to form within a month. You don’t want to be confused on your goal or too scared to even start. You want to have confidence and excitement already!

For example, if you’d like to run daily – be specific on how many miles you like to run daily. You might want to run 2 miles. If so, you might want to break it down within a month like this:

By the end of the 1st week = .5 mile run

By the end of the 2nd week = 1 mile run

By the end of the 3rd week = 1.5 mile run

By the end of the 4th week = 2 mile run

I encourage you to be even more specific! For running, I would plan out the running course I’d take, what time I’d run and for how long each day.

In addition to your plan, you should figure out what changes you will need to make. For running, changes might include:

Incorporating whole fruit and vegetables into each meal

Sleeping by 11:00 pm

Tracking miles and speed on app

Find Inspiration & Repeat Affirmations

It’s always nice (and helpful) to have someone to be inspired by! There’s of course a variety of Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube accounts to grab inspiration from. If you can’t find someone or something online – read a book more on the benefits of your new habit. If you are still having trouble finding inspiration, list all the reasons why you want to change and what the benefits are for you (and even others)!

To make you even more inspired and confident, I suggest repeating positive affirmations in front of the mirror. Affirmations like, “I love myself’, “I easily and gracefully accomplish new habits”, “I learn easily” and “I’m a dedicated person” – are all helpful. For running, I’d choose affirmations like, “My body is strong”, “My legs move gracefully” and “I like treating my body well”.

Visualize

Visualizing yourself doing and/or having what you want makes you believe you can do it (because well you already thinking you are). Oprah Winfrey, Jim Carrey, Tony Robbins and other top leaders in their field have and continue to use visualization to reach success.

With that said, I encourage you to visualize:

1. Doing your habit gracefully and effortlessly
2. Seeing and feeling the benefits of doing and/or having your habit

For running, I’d visualize running at an easy pace where my legs and knees are feeling strong – both up and down hills. I’d also visualize myself smiling with high levels of energy, and not seeking alcohol or junk food to satisfy me after my run.

Keep Track

You probably won’t feel motivated one day (if not more). That’s quite fine. You just need to figure out what changed that one day and how to get back on track. It’s definitely easier said than done at times, but you can find your hunger to succeed.

If my knees were aching while running, I’d try stretching or changing how I run. If I didn’t feel energized enough to run, I would try to sleep more or eat more whole foods. Whatever problems come your way while forming your habit, there are always solutions.

Now, have your habit formed!

After a month, your habit should become apart of your life almost effortlessly. Remember, it does take time to form a new habit, with obstacles – but you always have the choice to get back up and try again.

Last Updated on February 27, 2024