It’s almost Spring, how are your New Year’s goals or habits? If you’re tempted to give up because progress has blown off course like a springtime wind, don’t! We can spring into better habits with two simple steps and achieve our goals.
Many goals/resolutions/intentions fail to fly because we either make our goals too nonspecific or don’t plan how to accomplish them. Let’s break down each of these common missteps with some action tips to spring into better habits.
Make it Specific
When we create goals like “get in shape”, “read more”, or “eat healthier” we aim for something so big it’s difficult to gauge success. Let’s redefine what success looks like by getting more specific.
Typically, a big goal needs to be broken down into numerous, smaller steps along the way. “Eat healthier” means different things to different people. Make the goal more specific by changing the wording to what’s most important like “eat meat only once a week” or “increase fruits and vegetables to half of each meal”. By making it more specific, it is easier to measure and track. Success comes when we achieve a goal, so when we make it easier to measure, it’s easier to succeed.
Action Step-take one goal stuck in neutral and make it more specific. If you need to make a couple more specific, smaller goals for the larger one, do so, keeping the spirit of the original goal and what’s most important in mind.
Make a Plan
Once we’ve created more specific goals, we then need to plan. One of the best memory techniques is get organized with planning being a big part of that. When we plan something, we are more likely to remember and act on it. Let’s continue with the ‘eat healthier’ goal. If we’ve switched it to more fruits and vegetables, a plan could include adjusting our grocery list, stopping at the Farmer’s Market, and identifying time to prep the fruits and veggies for meals. When we include these smaller steps in our daily plans, it makes choosing our better habits easier.
From my own experience, creating a plan for these smaller steps makes all the difference. With the healthier food on hand and part of the prep done ahead, it’s an easy decision to make healthy choices. When I don’t, those extra steps make the better choice more difficult, especially at the end of the day. Planning ahead takes away that pivot point and helps me stay on track with my goals.
Action Step: Take the more specific goals identified above and make a plan for this week. Be specific in planning, too. Then next week do the same, and soon you’ll spring into better habits and success!
For more detailed information on habits, check out Brain Boosters!