Well, we’re twenty days into 2018, and I bet some of us are already struggling to stick to our resolutions. And why wouldn’t we be? Seriously?! Dunkin’s cappuccino is too good not to waste money on, doing your hair everyday is extremely overrated, and (for a few of us) the temptation to foolishly continue texting that toxic ex is just too great! If you fall somewhere on this spectrum, don’t feel bad; you’re certainly not alone. My coffee dependency is real! And until I receive a Ninja from some sweet loved one, I will continue throwing money at businesses that can provide me with that black goodness.
Getting back to the point, change can be hard, and wouldn’t it be great if there were ways to make it easier? Why yes, of course. It’s all in the title. So here are five tips for success in creating new habits.
1. Remember your Why.
As stated in our previous post, The Art of Getting Shit Accomplished, sticking to a new, distasteful habit is much easier if you have a great reason for doing it. For example, say your resolution is to call your mom (at least) once a week. Your why would be not only does it make her happy, but decreases her Power of Passive Aggressive Guilt. Also, you’re washing that expensive sweater completely wrong and you should definitely consult the Master.
2. Give yourself a vision.
No, we’re not condoning use of peyote to “find yourself”. And no, you don’t have to consult Pinterest to immediately begin construction on your vision board (unless you just want to). What we are saying is that a visual reminder of what you’re striving for can make for great motivation. Make yourself a vision, give it prominent placement in your routine, and see how it pushes you further every day!
3. Make social media work for you!
Facebook has its groups, and Instagram has its hashtags, and you have the ability to create a digital community that consists of like-minded people. Follow people who already are accomplishing your dreams! Is your goal to save money to travel? Follow travel enthusiast!
Seeing beautiful pictures from their adventures will heighten your drive to be doing what they are. We already scroll through social media, we might as well get excited about what we’re seeing.
4. Set small goals WITH an action plan.
Disregard the fact that this sounds like every self-help book ever written, and just do it! Setting goals in increments will give your endeavour direction and encouragement. Each time you meet one small challenge head-on and overcome it, gives you hope for your overall goal. Sometimes, swinging big isn’t as effective as playing short ball.
5. Talk about it
Friends are an amazing thing. They boost your confidence and see in you what you might not see in yourself. Talk it out with them, your dreams and goals, they can give you helpful advice or the motivation you may need! Plus, it’s a great way to make a human connection, talking about something really important! Another reason this is also helpful is you’ll be making the goal more real, talking about it makes it a bit more concrete. Your brain will be working out the plan to put it all together. And don’t forget to ask your friends about their goals. It’s just common courtesy to help them live their dreams, too. Just the other day, I had a good friend text me asking about my goals. It reminded me “oh yea, I should be doing something today to get one step closer to them.” Then I asked about hers and learned something wonderful that’s what she’s been dreaming of! We both got re-excited about what we want to do. It’s pretty magical; you should try it!
So live each day with your goals in mind. Take action when possible, plan it out and relate to the people you love. Not everyday is perfect. You’ll get there if you really want it!
Let us help you, tell us about your goals! On our Instagram we will post a picture/video sharing our goals. We’d love it if you would comment with yours!
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