How to Change Your Habits and Achieve Your Goals

Like millions of others, you’ve probably made a few resolutions for the New Year. Setting goals are the easy part, but achieving them takes dedication and consistency. Humans are creatures of habit and change is difficult. But should you stop making resolutions? Never!

Habits are actions that require little or no conscious effort, like getting dressed in the morning or brushing your teeth before bed. You don’t have to think about doing these things—you just do them. But not all habits are beneficial, such as smoking, having a drink (or two) each evening or ordering takeout for every meal.

Below are three steps to help change your habits, improve your attitude and achieve your goals.

Choose the habit(s) you wish to change.

The first step should be making a list of the things you want to change and why. Identifying why you want to change is a significant part of setting yourself up for success. When you are writing down your goals, be as specific as possible. Understand that your bad habits weren’t formed overnight, so be prepared to put in some serious work to develop new ones.

Think differently.

Changing your mindset will require a conscious effort at first to turn old negative thoughts into new positive ones. One strategy to help with the shift in perspective is to keep a gratitude journal. Each day write down 3-5 things you are grateful for no matter how big or small they are. Additionally, letting go of old fears, failures and wounds will help you on your journey – especially if you’ve failed to meet your goals in the past. Remember that every day is a new opportunity to create lasting change and improve your life. Developing acceptance is key to living a healthy and fulfilling life.

Look for inspiration and motivation.

When looking for motivation to change your habits and mindset, it can be helpful to look back to the list you created in step one. Read through your specific goals and pay close attention to why you desire to make that change. Zig Ziglar said, “Motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing, and that is why we recommend it daily.” If you find that you have trouble staying motivated or inspired to stick with your plan, try finding support from family, friends or others that are working towards the same things. Many times they can provide emotional support, helpful information or encouragement to overcome whatever obstacles you are facing.