Creating Sustainable Habits

If you are like me, before I learned how to set goals, I struggled to create sustainable habits. How often have you swore to cut back on junk food or vowed to start working out everyday? Why is it so difficult for us to stick to our goals?

Creating sustainable habits to reach our goals requires more than good intent and willpower. To maximize lasting success, it is best to:

• Define your inspirational goal

• Take small action steps you can start immediately to work towards your goal

• Evaluate possible barriers to success and put plans in place to overcome them

• Identify resources you can use to compliment your action steps

• Have an accountability partner (or better yet a coach!).

Once you have done the work above, it is time to define small action steps to meet your inspirational goal. I recommend my clients use the SMART goal format: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-based.

An undefined goal such as, “ I’m going exercise to lose weight” is less effective in building habits than a SMART goal written as “I will walk for 30 minutes 5 times a week for the next two months to work towards my weight loss goal of 20# over the next 9 months”. You can use this format for any type of goal. Make sure to track your progress!

What is your inspirational goal?