8 Tips to Make a Healthier Behavior Stick All Year Long

Almost 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions fail by February. What would happen if you succeeded this year? What would that look like?

1. Make a List. Write down all the healthier behaviors you want to incorporate into your life and include the “why” in the description. Be honest about the why. A healthier behavior is more likely to become a habit if it something that you want to change, not something you think you need to change for other people.

2. Prioritize your list based on motivation, amount of time/energy needed to change, importance in reaching the goal, or a system that makes sense to you.

3. Focus on Changing One Healthier Behavior at a Time. You don’t have to overhaul your entire schedule and try to accomplish everything on your list at one time. Look at your prioritized list and choose one healthier behavior. When that is part of your routine, start working on the next behavior on the list.

4. Create a Plan. What would it look like if this healthier behavior was part of your everyday life? What would you need to do each week or month in order to make that happen? Organize your answers into steps or a diagram.

5. Start Small. Break your plan down into smaller goals. What is your first step? What would success look like at the end of next week?

6. Turn it into an Experiment. Try something out for a week. At the end of the week, think about what worked, what was difficult and what you would change to be more successful. Make a decision to continue the experiment or choose another experiment to start.

7. Ask for Support and Accountability. Find a friend, spouse, group, or coworker that can help keep you accountable while you making these changes.

8. Celebrate your Successes. Big or small wins during the week should be celebrated! Here are 50 Non-Food Reward Ideas to Celebrate Success if you need some ideas!

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How to Make Your New Year’s Resolution to Stick Past Mid-January

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