Have you ever made a resolution at the beginning of the year only to see yourself scuttling back into your shameful acts just a few months in? Not being able to follow through on our aims makes a good number of us feel downcast because we know the riveting benefits of keeping healthy habits: a longer life, better physique, and better connections. Still, we find it hard to put paid to our promise. Stick around and I’ll show you my top solutions for the typical excuses people give for not maintaining a new habit.
Don’t Set Goals, Create Systems
We have been preprogrammed to set goals to achieve the heights we want to attain in life. Academic grades, reps at the bench press, sales targets in business, name it. We all want to get results, but only a few people pay little attention to the process. Sports coaches don’t win games by gazing at the scoreboard all game long. The real work is done on the training field; in the days leading to the game.
This is not to say that setting goals is a complete waste of time. Goals give you direction, but systems guarantee progress and longevity. A systems-first mindset is the antidote to the binary trap that a goal is. Make it easier to achieve a 30-minute run every day by placing your shoes at the door. Ensure you eat a healthier diet by keeping fruit on the counter. Goals are achievable when the tools to achieving them are within reach.
Grow Strong Gradually
When it comes to building a healthy habit, the classic maxim, “start small,” finds its biggest practicality. Gear senior editor, Micheal Calore thinks that the Couch to 5K app is great for anyone who wants to nurture a running regimen. But the trick for using the app successfully is to not run five kilometers on the first day. Building the strength and endurance to cover five kilometers takes time. If you’re going to feel disappointed each time you don’t hit 5K, then you’re not going to be running for much longer.
The same thing goes for anyone who wants to imbibe healthy habits. Want to write? Start with 100 words. Want to write songs and sing? Sing whatever comes to your mind every day. Put a big calendar on the wall and make a big X with a red marker over that day every time you do a task. Come back a few days later and notice the chain you have created. Now that you appreciate the progress you have made over a couple of weeks, the only task left for you is to not break the chain.
Ditch Your Old Ways for Good
The reason some of us don’t seem to get any headway in our resolutions for healthy living is that we introduce new habits without quitting old ones. Many people are emotionally entwined with hardwired habits and this impedes their focus on new ones. Eliminate any emotional baggage you have left by focusing on the commitment at hand and training your will. This is a common line of thought amongst Catholic teachers.
Envisage your mind as a muscle. You need to build it through strength training. In trying to reduce your soda intake in favor of smoothies, start by not consuming a bottle at once. As you wean off small undesirable habits, you fortify your willpower by pushing harder until your entire psyche is fastened to your newfound style.
Start a Healthy Habit Today. Live Better
To get more information about healthy habits to start or to schedule an evaluation, call Jason Ferine Physical Therapy at 424-365-2083. We believe that restorative power comes from within through the guidance of the human touch. Our treatments center on hand-on manual therapy, strength training, yoga, exercise, and acupuncture. Schedule an evaluation today and let’s send you on your way to building healthy, life-changing habits.
Jason Ferine Physical Therapy
2300 Westwood Blvd, Ste. 100
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Tel: 424-365-2083
Fax: 310-943-3532
Email: jfptoffice@gmail.com or jasonferinept@gmail.com