40 Best Ways to Keep New Habits Every Day

40 Best Ways to Keep New Habits · 1. Think long-term. · 2. Start small. · 3. Save brainpower for big decisions. · 4. Set goals that have true value ... Health 40BestWaystoKeepNewHabits Here'severytrickyouneedtomakeanyactionpermanent. By AmySchlinger December5,2017 By AmySchlinger December5,2017 WithJanuarylessthanamonthaway,chancesareyou'rebeginningtothinkaboutthoseNewYearsresolutionsandwhatyou'rehopingtoachievein2018.Butdidyouknowthatastaggering80percentofallNewYearsresolutionsfailbythesecondweekofFebruary?That'snotsurprising,givenresearchpublishedintheEuropeanJournalofSocialPsychology, whichcitedthatittakes,onaverage,morethantwomonthstoformahabit. Well,we'relookingtohelpsetyouupforsuccessintheupcomingyear.Welookedatresearchandaskedtopexpertsforthebesttips,tricks,andhackstohelpkeephabits.Soreadon,andgoodluck!Andforhabitsyouneedtokick,herearethe34badhabitseveryoneshouldstopbyage40.  1 Thinklong-term. Whileit'simportanttoliveinthenow,it'salsorememberwhatyou'reworkingtowards.InastudyaboutmotivationconductedbytheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,researchersfoundthathavingabiggerconceptinmindcanhelpwithdiscipline.Andformoregreatadvice,hereare100waystobea(much)healthiermanorwoman.  2 Startsmall. TheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationalsosuggeststhatafteryou'veidentifiedthelargergoal,breakitdownintomoremanageablegoalsyoucanachievenow.Aweeklygoalisagoodwaytostartbecauseattheendofsevendays,you'llknowifyouhititornot.Andformoregreatadvice,hereare40waystostretchyourpaycheckeverymonth.  3 Savebrainpowerforbigdecisions. AccordingtoastudyintheHarvardBusinessReview,inordertomaintaindisciplineinthelongterm,itsbesttolimittheamountofdecisionsyou'remaking.Inotherwords,makeasmanymundanethingsinyourliferoutinesoyoudon'thavetowastebrainpowermakingunnecessarydecisions.Ifyouwanttoexpandonthattrainofthought,these15Over-the-CounterDrugsWillMakeYouSmarter. 4 Setgoalsthathavetruevaluetoyou. Inupcomingweeks,manypeoplearegoingtosaytheywanttoloseweightintheNewYear.Butdotheyreallywanttoloseweightoraretheysayingthatbecauseit'sthepopularthingtodo?"Yourgoalshavetobetrulyalignedwithwhatyouwanttoaccomplishoryou'rejustwastingyourtime,"saysAlokTrivedi,DC,aChicago-basedpsychologicalperformancecoachandtheauthorof ChasingSuccess."Whenyousetgoalsbasedonotherpeople'svalues,youendupfrustrated,aggravated,andresentingyourself." 5 Don'tbesorestrictive. Theall-or-nothingmindsethasgottogo.It'sallaboutbalanceandhappinessifyouwanttoachievesuccess."Cutthatoffinthesingle-mindedpursuitofsomethinglikeshreddedabsand,whileyoumaygetthem,Icanalmostguaranteeit'llonlybeforashorttime,"explainsAdamRosante,aNewYorkCity–basedfitnessandnutritioncoach. 6 Workononehabitatatime. Oneofthetopreasonspeoplefailattheirgoals,especiallyfitnessfocusedones,isthattheytrytotakeontoomuchatonce,explainsRosante."Andwhenyouswingthependulumtothefarthestendofonespectrum,guesswhathappensnext?"heexplains."Itinevitablyswingsallthewaybacktotheotherside."Focusononegoalbeforeworkingonanother.Also:Youmightwanttoreadaboutthe20WaysThisPopularRecreationalDrugAffectsYourHealth. 7 Consideracoach. Havingacoachwhoisknowledgeableintheareainwhichyourgoalisliescanreallyhelpyougetthere."Youwanttomakesureyoufindsomeonewhohasasolidbackgroundandadepthofknowledgeinthefield,"saysNoamTamir,CSCS,ownerofTSFitnessinNewYorkCity."Youwantacoachwhocanconnectwithyouandwhoknowshowtomotivateyou. Youwantsomeonethatwillliftyouupwhenyoudroptheball.Italsomakesitmoreenjoyable." 8 Don'tcreatevisionboards. Contrarytowhatwe'vebeenledtobelieveaboutachievinggoals,creatingvisionboardscanactuallybeoneoftheworstthingsyoucando,accordingtoTrivedi. "Infact,Icallthemnightmareboards,"hesays."Thereason—youareconstantlylookingatafantasy.It'sgoingtoslapyouinthefaceandmakeyoufeellikeafailure."Alwaysseeingpicturesofbigmansions,fancycars,andsuperfitmodelsisn'trealityandisn'tgoingtoinspireyou.Itcanactuallybackfirebytakingawayyourself-confidenceanddesiretomoveforward. 9 Createanaffirmation. ShutterstockThemorepositivethebetter!AccordingtoastudyinthejournalPersonalityandSocialPsychologyBulletin,individualsperformedbetterwhenusingself-affirmations.Plus,ithelpscalmnerves,too!SetupthebestaffirmationpossiblewiththeBestWaytoWakeUpEarlierEveryDay. 10 Haveapersonallifephilosophy. ShutterstockAndmakeitcleartoyourselfwhatitis.Think:Aclearstatementofwhoyouareasaperson."It'snotaboutwhat'spopularortrending—it'saboutwhatmatterstoyouandyoualone,"saysRosante."ThisbecomesyourNorthStarfordirectingyourthoughts,words,andactions,everyday.Itallowsyoutobeyourmostauthenticselfandbecomestherocketfuelyouneedtopoweryoutowardyourgoals." 11 Goalsthatrelatestickeasier. Researchhasshownthatgoalsthatareinlinewithoneanotherareeasiertoachieve."Smallchangemakesbigthingshappen,"saysTamir. "Startwithonegoal,andonceyou'resuccessful,dothesamethingfortheothergoalsonyourlist." 12 Remindyourself. ShutterstockAstudyintheSocietyforPersonalityandSocialPsychologyfoundthat40percentofpeople'sdailyactivitiesareperformedeachdayinalmostthesamesituations.Why?Becauserepetitioncanbekeywhenformingahabit.Themoreyouremindyourselfwhatyou'retryingtoaccomplishandwhy,themorelikelyyou'llbesostickwithit.Andformoregreatwaystoimproveyourself,readthe20healthylivingrulesyoushouldliveby. 13 Findotherswithsimilarhabits. Readbooks.Watchmovies.Seekoutdocumentariesaboutwhatyou'relookingtoaccomplishoraboutindividualswhohaveaccomplishedorexcelinwhatyou'relookingtodo.AccordingtoPsychologyToday,rolemodelscanhelpmotivateustobeourbest. 14 Surroundyourselfwithsupportivepeople. ShutterstockSupportisoneofthegreatesttoolsforstick-with-it-ness."Researchshowsthathavingfriendsorfamilymemberswhosupportyourgoalsimproveslong-termsuccess,"explainsCynthiaSass,MPH,RD,CSSD,aNewYorkCity–basednutritionist."Eveniftheyaren'tdoingthesamethingsyou'redoing,justhavingsomeonetoofferencouragement,orlistenwhen you'rehavingatoughdaycanhelpyouhanginwhenyoufeellikegivingup."Findatleastonepersonwhogetsitandaskifyoucancheckinwiththemonaregularbasis.Evenaquicktextcanhelpyoustayontrack. 15 Leavethecomparisonstoothers. Whatyouwanttoachieveandaccomplishinyourlifeisverydifferentfromwhatsomeoneelsewantsto,sodon'twastetimecomparingyourselftoothers."Thisisonlygoingtoleaveyoufeelingfrustratedanddragyoudown,"saysTrivedi."Nothinggoodevercomesfromitanditcausespsychologicalconfusion." 16 Don'tsetatimelimit. ShutterstockWhileyouwanttobesureyouhaveanendgoalinsight,youdon'twanttosetalimitonahabityou'retryingtoform."Societyalreadymakesusfeelasifwe'renotmovingfastenoughthesedays,"saysJoanneEncarnacion,aSanFrancisco–basedintegrativehealthandlifecoach."Theworldcanbedemandingandyoudeserveeverymomentyoucantopause." 17 Haveaspecificplan. Yourplanisyourroadmapthatwillleadyoueithertosuccessorfailure.Sosetyourselfupfortheformer.AccordingtotheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,themorespecificyourplancanbe,thebetter. 18 Setupasuccessfulenvironment. Doyouhaveequipmenttocookwell?Areyourrunningshoesorweightseasilyaccessible?Didyousetupyourbedroomtobeconducivetosleep,notpartying?Saygoodbyetoanythingthatcanstandinthewayofachievingyourgoals."Successismorethanexerciseandeatingwell,"saysLeslieBonci,RD,founderofthenutritionconsultingcompanyActiveEatingAdvice."Itisalsoyourenvironment." 19 Recruitanaccountabilibuddy. Havingsomeonebesidesyourselfworkingtowardsthesamegoalcanhelpyoureachittogether.AccordingtotheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,involvingabuddycanhelpmotivateyouandkeepyouaccountable. 20 Visualizeyourgoal. ShutterstockCommittingtoahabitmeanshavingitatthetopofyourmind.AccordingtoPsychologyToday,mentalpracticeandvisualizationcanactuallyhelpprepareyouforsuccess. 21 Repetitioniskey. ShutterstockThinkaboutit:Everytimeyougotothebathroom,youwashyourhandsafter,right?It'ssecondnature.AccordingtoresearchintheBritishJournalofGeneralPractice,thisrepetitionofasimpleactioninaconsistentcontextleadstotheactionbeingactivatedautomatically—alsoknownasahabit. 22 Behonestwithyourself. ShutterstockTryingtomakeanunattainablegoalahabitisjustsettingyourselfupforfailure."Instead,behonestaboutwhereyouarerightnowandgetclearonwhereyouwanttobe,"saysRosante."Then,mapoutasimpleplanthatyoucanstickto." 23 Trackyourprogress. There'snodenyingit—accountabilityhelpstoimproveyoursuccess.Andyoucankeepyourselfaccountablebytrackingyourprogress,whetherit'swithafoodapp,afitnesswatch,ajournal,orabloodpressuremonitor."Werespondwelltonumbersandthisismuchlessvagueandmuchmoretangible,"saysBonci."Thisputsthingsdirectlyinyourfacesoyou'reconfrontedwithwhatyouhaveorhavenotdone." 24 Celebratesuccess. Positivereinforcementcanbeagoodthingwhenyou'retryingtosticktoahabit,whetheritcomesfromyourselforsomeoneelse."Itrytomakesuremyclientsdon'tfeeloverwhelmedordefeatediftheyhaveasetback,"saysTamir."Instead,focusingonthepositivecanhelplifttheirspiritsandencouragethemtokeepmovingforward.Ihavelearnedthismethodfromothergreatcoachesanduseditonmyself,too." 25 Purchaseaproductivityplanner. ShutterstockNope,we'renottalkingaboutyouriPhonecalendarwithworkappointments—purchaseanactualplannerthatyoucanwritein. "Thisisasimpleplannerthatbreaksdowninadvancewhatyourfivemostimportanttasksoftheweekare,"saysDonSaladino,NASM,ownerofDriveHealthClubsinNewYorkCity. "You'llalsowritedownfivetasksofsecondaryimportance,alongwithadditionaltasks.Thekeyhereistowritedownwhatyouneedtodotobehappyandsuccessfulfortheweek."Thisprocesshelpsnotonlywithorganizationbutexecutionaswell,whichhelpsleadtosuccess. 26 Getintotherightmindset. ShuttersockWhilesomehabitsdon'trequireatonofsacrifice,othersdo.Ifyou'relookingtomakeapositivechangethatrequiressomediscipline,bepreparedforthat."Ifyouwantpositivechange,youhavetochallengeyourself,"saysRosante."Justknowthatontheothersideofdiscomfortanddoubtisamuchstrongerversionofyourself." 27 MakeSMARTgoals. shutterstockSpecific.Measurable.Achievable.Relevant.Time-based.Researchhasshownthatthisisoneofthemostsuccessfulmethodsforsettinggoals. 28 Don'tfeellikeyouneedtobeperfect. It'simpossibletobeperfect,andtryingtocancausemoreharmthangood."Youshouldhaveaplanthatyoucansticktoatleast80percentofthetime,"saysRosante."Ifyoumessup,don'tbeatyourselfup.Lifeisaboutlivingandthefreedomtounapologeticallyembraceyourownhappiness." 29 Scheduleyourworkoutsinyourplanner. Writedownnotonlythedays,butalsothetimeandworkoutyouplantodothatday."Thiswillkeepyoufrominadvertentlyschedulinganythingelseduringthesetimeperiods,andalsomakesyourexercisesessionsseemasessentialasanymajormeetingorappointment,"explainsWayneWestcott,PhD,CSCS,aprofessorofexercisescienceatQuincyCollege. 30 Haveyourfitnessgearreadytogo. ShutterstockPackyourgymbackthenightbefore,orlayyourclothesoutsothey'rereadywhenyouwakeup."Thiswillpreventyoufromleavinghomewithoutyourexerciseessentialsorfromnottakingtimetoassembleyourgearinthemorningifyou'rerunninglate,"saysWescott.Iteliminatesanexcuse. 31 Simpleandshortworkoutsaregood Timeisalwaystheenemywhenitcomestofitness."Becauseourlivesarebusyandtimeisourmostpreciousresource,whenthingsgettight,ourworkoutsareusuallythefirstthingtolandonthechoppingblock,"saysRosante."Unlessyou'repreparingforabodybuildingcompetition,there'snoreasonforyourworkoutstobemuchlongerthan45-minutes,tops. Thekeyisconsistencyandsimple,effective,science-backedprogramming."ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb 32 Letothersknowwhenyou'reworkingout. Sayitoutloudandtellasmanypeopleaswilllisten."Tellingotherswhenyouplantotrainduringtheweekwillmakeyoufeelcommittedtokeepingyourwordanddoingyourworkoutasannounced,"saysWestcott.Itcanalsohelpkeepothersfromtryingtoderailyouwithotherplans. 33 Chooseaprovenprogram. AnythingbackedbyscienceisbetterthansomethingyoureadontheInternet."Aprogrambasedonsciencegivesyoustructure,"saysTamir."Weoftenhavealotofthingsgoing on,andratherthanjustgoingintothegymoreatinghealthywithnoprovenplan,thishelpsyoustaycommitted toyourendgoal."Also,ifit'ssomethingthathasworkedforalotofotherpeople,it'smorelikelywillworkforyou,too. 34 Slowyourselfdownateverymeal. ShutterstockIfyou'retryingtoeatless,thisisagoodwaytohelpyoustickwithit.ResearchfromtheUniversityofRhodeIslandobserved30healthywomenduringtwoseparatevisitsandfoundthatwhenthewomenateslower(21minuteslonger),theyconsumedlessfood,tookinaboutfourmoreouncesofwaterand65fewercalories—that'sfourtimesfewercaloriesperminute.Fasteatersreportedalowerlevelofsatiety,despiteeatingmorefoodinlesstime."Tousethistechnique takesmallerbites,putyourutensildownbetweenbites,andchewyourfoodmore thoroughly,"suggestsSass. 35 Includesomethingwithcolorateverymeal. You'veprobablyheardbeforethatacolorfulplateisahealthyplate,andit'strue.Vegetablesandfruitsaresomeofthemostcolorfulfoodsonthespectrum.Addingsometoyourmealscanhelpyousticktoanutritionorweightlossgoal."Thiswillincreaseyourdailyproduceintake,[plus]providestheeyeappeal,keepsyourmouthbusywithchewing,andaddsmuchneededfiber,"explainsBonci. 36 Eatlikeachild. ShutterstockIfyou'relookingtotrimportionsize,switchtosmallerplates,glasses,andutensils."Itmayseemsilly,butthiswon'tallowyoutoputasmuchonyourplate,"explainsBonci. 37 Uselotsofspices. ShutterstockSugarisn'ttheonlywaytogetflavorinyourmeal.Ginger,cinnamon,nutmeg,cloves,andpumpkinpiespiceareallsweetoptionsthatdon'tcarrythecaloriepunch."Evenvanilla,lemon,almond,andmapleextracthaveasweetaromaandsweettaste,"explainsBonci."Slicesofcitrusaddedtowater,sparklingwater,andteasprovideasweettastethatdoesnotcomefromasugarpacket,too." 38 Replacewhatyou'regivingup. ShutterstockIfyoujustgivesomethingupyouwillfeeldeprived."'Swapfor'dietsarebetterthaneliminationoneswhenitcomestosuccess,"explainsBonci."Ifyougiveupsodareplacewithsparklingwater.Ifyougiveupchipsreplacewithanothercrunchyfoodlikeroastedchickpeas."Thisisincentivizingandstrategizingtooptimizesuccess. 39 Prioritize. ShutterstockSure,theremaybeafewgoalsyou'dliketoachieve,sowhat'sthebestwaytochoosewheretostart?"Usethe5-3-1rule,"suggestsTamir."Pickfivethingsthatyouwanttoaccomplishwhenitcomestoyourfitnessorweightlossgoals,"hesays."Thenfromthat,pick3thataremostattainableanddesirable,andfromthosethree,pickonethatyouarereadytoactontoday." 40 Keepafoodjournal,andwriteinitdaily. ShutterstockAstudypublishedintheAmericanJournalofPreventativeMedicinefoundthatpeoplewhokeptafooddiarysixdaysaweeklostabuttwiceasmuchweightasthosewhokeptrecordsjustonedayaweekorless."Itworksbecauseit raisesyourawareness andforcesyoutobeconsciousaboutwhatandhowmuchyou'veeaten,andmakeconnectionsaboutwhy,"explainsSass."Whenwedon'ttrackwetendtounderestimatehowmuchwe've eaten, orevenforgetaboutsomefoods,snacks, ordrinks." Formoreadviceonlivingyourbestlife, followusonFacebook now! FiledUnderWellness ReadThisNext TheSingleMostEffectiveWaytoBoostYourSexAppeal Selfdeprecationisthemostlethalweaponinanyladykiller'sarsenal. May15,2017 25WaystoTransformYourselfintoaSexGod Bonus:You'llalsobeamuch,muchhealthierman. May2,2017 The30WaysThatExerciseBoostsYourSexLife Asifyouneededanyfurtherreasontolookandfeelyourbest. April21,2017 LatestNews SmarterLiving 5WarningsFromEx-HomeGoodsEmployees Noteverythingisasgreatadealasyouthink. Travel The6MostBeautifulU.S.TrainTrips Enjoythesightsfrominsidethetrain. Extra VideoShowsAggressive"ThumbSplitters"MantisShrimpWashAshoreonU.S.BeachesAfterStorm ThescarylookingshrimpareinvadingthebeachesofDelaware SmarterLiving TheNo.1SignThere'saSnakeinYourKitchen Whenindoubt,usetheflourtrick. Entertainment SeeCarrieIngallsFrom"LittleHouse"Now TwinsLindsayandSidneyGreenbushare52. Extra MenAgeFasterThanWomen,NewStudyReveals Biologicalgapincreaseswithchronologicalage. ReadThisNext TheSingleMostEffectiveWaytoBoostYourSexAppeal Selfdeprecationisthemostlethalweaponinanyladykiller'sarsenal. May15,2017 25WaystoTransformYourselfintoaSexGod Bonus:You'llalsobeamuch,muchhealthierman. May2,2017 The30WaysThatExerciseBoostsYourSexLife Asifyouneededanyfurtherreasontolookandfeelyourbest. April21,2017