**This post was originally posted on 12/31/21, but since it’s so applicable to this time of year, I’m reposting it. Enjoy!**
It’s that time of year when many of us set goals, or New Year’s Resolutions, for the new year. Often, people set a goal to lose weight, or get more fit, or read X number of books, or save X amount of money, and so on. And unfortunately, by the second Friday in January, most people have already given up on their New Year’s Resolutions. This day has even become known as “Quitter’s Day.”
Here’s another startling statistic:
Less than 10% of people accomplish their New Year’s goals.
So, how do we successfully get past January 19th AND become one of the 10% of successful goal achievers?
We focus on creating habits, and our goals will take care of themselves.
Habits lead to achieving goals. No habits? No success with our goals. It’s as simple as that. If you simply say, “I’m going to lose weight,” for example, you’re not going to achieve that goal because it’s not tied to an action—a habit.
I’ve been reading and studying more about habits lately because I really want to “get it.” I want to create the tools—the habits—that will help me achieve my goals.
So, what have I learned about habits?
Basically, the smaller and simpler the habit, the better, and small steps of progress can be monumental.
Here’s how I’m going to use habits to achieve some of my goals for 2022.
Goal: Get a healthier body & decrease body fat percentage
Habits:
- Work out for 30 minutes, 4 days/week. If I work out longer or more days, great! But 30 minutes, 4 days/week is the habit I’m creating.
- Drink 64 ounces of water every day
- Eat 5 total servings of fruits and vegetables every day
- Eat 100 grams of protein every day
Goal: Post on my blog once a week
Habit: Write 15 minutes a day Monday-Friday. I can totally do more, but when I write for 15 minutes, that’s a win for that day.
Goal: Read 50 “Success” books
Habit: Read 10 pages each day in a “Success” book. The term “Success” book is from one of my favorite authors, Jon Acuff, and it refers to personal development, self-improvement, religious, biography/autobiobraphy type books. A Success book is any book that teaches you something. And I obviously like that term! I’ve learned from doing this the past 3 months that 10 pages a day really does add up, and it’s way better than reading 0 pages because I don’t feel like I have time to read however long I feel like I need to read to reach my goal. Of course, I can read more than 10 pages, but reading 10 pages a day is the habit I’m creating, and that’s another win for the day!
These are the Success books in my to-read piles, and I’m sure I’ll be adding more to these piles. And…this doesn’t count the religious books I want to read this year. I guess I won’t suffer from a lack of something to read. 😉
I have some other habits that aren’t directly tied to a goal, but I’ve found that all my habits tend to work together. Which is awesome!
So, what are some tips I’ve learned for successfully creating a new habit?
7 Tips for Creating a New Habit
Tip #1. Track your progress. Whether it’s on a chart, on your to-do list, or whatever, seeing those wins add up is a great motivator! This year, I’m using a free Habit Tracker from James Clear, who is an expert on habits and habit creation.
There are 9 habits on my tracker, and I wouldn’t recommend tackling that many new habits at once. But since over 1/2 are habits I’ve already been working on, I’ll be making those habits more solid while working on the newer ones. And again, these are super simple habits, for the most part. The health-related goal ones will be not as simple, but I think they’re doable.
Tip #2. Calendar your habits every day. Mine are an entry in iCal (aptly named “Daily Habits”), and I like deleting that entry every day when I’ve completed all my habits!
Tip #3. Keep your habits front and center. I keep my Habit Tracker and the Success book I’m reading on my desk so I can see them all day, which helps me remember to do all of my habits.
Tip #4. Start right back when you miss a day. When you do miss a day, because you most likely will, learn from it. And while you’re learning from it, begin again immediately. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, said, “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” I don’t want to start those kinds of habits!
Tip #5. Don’t go for perfection. Perfection is a myth. It’s impossible to achieve. So don’t even go there!
Tip #6. Be flexible. If something’s not working, change it. Even if that means cutting down the number of habits you’re trying to create. After all, success in one or two habits is more important than struggling to be successful with multiple habits. Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” That’s a powerful quote!
And don’t be afraid to drop a habit altogether. Life changes, and sometimes our habits aren’t relevant to our life weeks or months from now.
Tip #7. Give yourself lots of grace. You won’t be perfect! Life happens. Be kind to yourself!
And if you’d like to learn more about habits, check out these books:
- Atomic Habits (James Clear)
- The Power of Habit (Charles Duhigg)
Ready to join the 10% of successful goal achievers in 2022 and beyond? Choose one New Year’s Resolution or goal you have and create one or more small habits that will help you get there.
Which goal and habit will you work on first? Leave it in a comment below so I can cheer you on!
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