Do This and Make That Habit Stick
Change is hard. Humans are creatures of habit, so when it comes to making real changes that last, things can get tricky. Here’s are a few examples.
The Diet
You start the hot new diet that everyone is doing. The one that’s going to finally work for you.
You may start out strong, getting all the food you need for that diet, prepping it, and portioning it into the little containers you picked up specifically for this occasion. You fill up that nice stainless-steel water bottle you got yourself because you told yourself you were going to hydrate like a champ from here on out.
Flash forward a few weeks. The containers sit empty in the kitchen, fresh vegetables rotting in the fridge and the water bottle sitting half full in your car, in a sort of limbo between being used and being forgotten.
The NEW Workout Routine
It’s January and you have decided that you are going to make a change, a lasting change. You are going to get your workout in every day with no excuses. 6 days a week, with one day off to recover.
You start on a Monday. You’re excited for you first workout of the rest of your life. You do it and feel great. Same thing happens Tuesday, and again Wednesday. On Thursday, Things go sideways at work and you miss your workout time. You feel guilty, but tomorrow is a new day.
A few weeks later, you’ve lost motivation and are back to workout out here and there, but only when you have the time (which seems like never).
“What’s wrong with me,” you might ask yourself. “Why can’t I just do better?”
Because, without realizing it, you have set yourself up to fail. Once you fail with one thing, it creates a snowball effect and the fails just keep adding up. Changing everything at once is a house of cards.
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A Recipe for Lasting Change
So how to make real changes that stick? One habit at a time. It’s so simple it seems stupid, but it’s not. People have an 85% success rate when they change one habit. When two habits are started at once, the success rate drops to about 35%. When three or more habits are started concurrently, the success rate drops to 8%. Pretty terrible, right?
If you want to make real change, it’s time to start taking an inventory of what needs to change and what those habits look like. Many people find that adding a new “good” habit nudges out an old “bad” habit.
If your goal is to eat better, break it down further. Do you want to eat more mindfully, eat more veggies & fruit, drink more water or perhaps you want to eat fewer processed foods?
You get the idea. When you start on a habit change path, you might learn a few things about yourself. There may even be a few habits you don’t realize you need to add to your life. Many people are surprised to find this once they assess their core nutrition habits. Take a look at these and ask yourself how many you do consistently:
Optimizing your nutrient status by taking basic supplements
Eating slowly and mindfully
Following your fullness cues at meals
Eating at the right times (and not skipping meals)
Eating ample vegetables and fruit (9-11 servings a day)
Getting enough protein
Being smart about carbohydrates
Eating healthy fats
Using a food log to analyze eating habits
Drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water
Getting enough fiber
Eating primarily whole foods
The list above is a starting point. See how many of the habits you currently do at least 80% of the time. If you aren’t sure about a habit, add it to the list.
Pick a Place to Start
Choose one habit to start on, the one that looks easiest. Why the easiest? Because creating early success is motivating. It creates a snowball effect that helps you achieve more.
Once you’ve picked a habit, ask yourself, “What’s standing in my way?” Identifying barriers to success is important. Those barriers could be lots of things. It could be a lack of knowledge, a lack of structure, a lack of accountability or something else.
Identify your resources
Rate yourself from 0-10 on these components. Rating them helps you identify which resources to (sorry for the corporate word I’m about to use) leverage the most:
Time - 0 = no time, 10 = Lots of free time
Support - 0 = nobody supportive around you, 10 = a community of people willing to help
Budget - 0 = no wiggle room, 10 = I’m willing to invest in anything that will help me
Mindset - 0 = I’ not sure if I can do this (or want to), 10 = I can do this and want to do it
Once you have some clarity, use the ones that are highest to offset the lowest scoring resources.
Structure & Support
Having a framework in place is a good idea, so that you’ll know how you’re going to get where you want. As a coach, that’s where I can help. If you’re feeling independent, I invite you to take my habit change and nutrition planning course Create Your Nutrition Roadmap. I also have an inclusive, free Facebook group where you can ask questions and learn interesting things about fitness and nutrition.
Need a little expert guidance? Set a no-cost consultation.