b’vive.

How to Create Healthy Habits that Last

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you:

I am here for all of those aspirations, I think they’re mighty goals! I agree, you would feel so much better if you could achieve that thing. 

If you’ve tried to set these goals in the past and just ended up feeling like a failure, you’re not alone. Also, you’re not a failure, you learned something in the trying and that’s progress, too. Just a different kind.

This time of year there are always new studies and articles out about New Year’s Resolutions so you may have heard the staggering statistics about how miserably we collectively “fail” at New Year’s Resolutions.

An article from Forbes said that less than 10% of people can keep their resolution for just the month of January. It kind of makes sense. We don’t wake up different people on January 1 where all of our old mindsets and bad habits go away and we can suddenly be different people. So, why do we think we are going to suddenly behavior differently?

The problem is that we set these goals without a few things:

1. A really deep understanding of why they matter to us.

2. A plan to achieve them. And sadly, we humans are easily discouraged so we tend to lose momentum when we hit a roadblock or don’t see progress quickly.

3. Resources to get back on track or overcome the challenges along the way.

I’m not saying don’t try. I’m saying, let’s try in a different way.

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. If you don’t try, you can’t fail. JUST KIDDING.

The idea of becoming a new person in January, is just kind of arbitrary and doesn’t make sense to me. What does make sense to me is a RESET.

You know when you’re computer automatically shuts down and then you turn it back on and it says “This computer automatically shutdown because you had 8,000 tabs and 782 programs open and it could not handle the overload. Would you like to reopen all of those programs?”

No. No you would not.

Let’s use January to start fresh.
Let’s use January to change one behavior.
Let’s use January to set us on a path for better wellness. 

Let’s use January to create one new healthy habit. And let’s see where that takes us!

Maybe you have already set your goals. Maybe you are just now starting to think about it. Maybe you think this is all BS. Either way, today is a great day to reset!

I was talking to a friend about this and she said she wants to “feel healthier this year.” We’ll call my friend Molly. To Molly, feeling healthier means she is going to drink more water and eat a better breakfast. She knows she’s getting older and needs to take better care of herself. She is well on her way and bought a super cute new water bottle that she’s very excited about. If she can drink three of those a day she would achieve her water goal. So, she knows what she needs to do. The question is HOW. How will she do it?

Drinking more water, getting better sleep, working out more . . . it’s all easier said than done. Because the doing requires a new habit or a behavior change. And behavior change is hard. That’s why there are so many books and articles and experts out there to help us.

At the risk of way oversimplifying, I’m going to give you a framework to try to help you create a new healthy habit in January. Whether you have big ideas like “being healthier” or big plans like “running a marathon,” I hope that you can use this framework to create the routines and habits that will get you where you’re going. I’m so excited for you and I’m so grateful to be on this journey with you!

Let’s break it down.

1. NAME YOUR THING

What’s the thing you want to achieve or the way you want to feel? I don’t want to get caught up in semantics about what is a goal or an aspiration. There’s a thing you’ve said you want. Say what it is and what that means to you.

To show you how this framework could work, I’ll provide examples to show you how Molly might answer these questions. Since you are not Molly, don’t feel compelled to answer like Molly but you can definitely take inspiration from her she’s a wonderful person with a positive mindset.

For example: I want to feel healthier. I know that means drinking more water and eating a better breakfast.

Note: That’s at least two different behaviors, so for this example I’ll just focus on the water. Molly could go through this exercise again to create her “better breakfast” plan.

2. GET YOUR MIND RIGHT

Why is this important to you? Knowing why we’re doing something can be a great motivator. 

Is there a mindset or message you need to help you achieve your thing?

Is there a resource you need? If you have a specific health concern, you may want to consult your doctor or a specific workout goal, you may want to work with a physical trainer or coach. Perhaps your thing requires you to learn a bit more about a specific topic. Friends count! If you have a friend who is working on a similar goal, you can help each other. Name as many resources as you can think of, these will be crucial for keeping you motivated and focused.

Example

Why: I’m getting older and I don’t want to feel it so much. I want to have more energy and feel better about myself.

Mindset message: I can do it!

Resources: My health coach, she’s amazing.

I could also read about the benefits of drinking water to keep me focused.

3. IDENTIFY THE BEHAVIORS

Be specific. Something you can check off a to-do list. Include when and where you will do the thing.

Example Behavior: Drink more water. 

Specifically: Drink 3 bottles of water each day.

When and where:

• In the morning, before leaving for work, fill water bottle.
• Before lunch, fill water bottle.
• Before leaving the office, fill water bottle.

Check, check, check.

4. ADD JOY

Think about an element you could add that would make this new behavior a little more delightful.

For Molly, her new water bottle is a great start.

She also might try:

• Singing a specific song when she fills her water bottle
• Adding fresh lemon or mint to make the water more flavorful
• Using an app that lets her check off the task
• Texting me so I can say “Yay! Good job!”

5. CHECK IN & RESET

Set a timeframe that you are committing to trying out this new behavior, then plan to check in, assess and reset.

You can set daily or weekly check-ins. We can talk more about this later, but you’ll be asking yourself:

What worked?

What got in the way?

What do you want to continue?

How can your resources help?

Let’s Do This.

5 Steps to Create a New Healthy Habit

* Name Your Thing

* Get Your Mind Right

* Identify the Behaviors

* Enjoy It

* Check in and Reset

I hope you will try this framework to create a new healthy habit to support your wellness journey. I’ve created this January Reset worksheet to help you create your plan.

You got this!

Margaret Faintich is on a mission to help us all live in a world where taking care of our health and wellness is the norm. Where we can eat nutritious and delicious food every day because they are the same and that’s just how we live. 

She shares inspiration and guidance through the lens of mind, body and spirit.

Margaret Faintich is the founder of B’Vive Co. and a Nutritious Life Master Certified Nutrition and Wellness Coach. 

She is a yoga lover and OrangeTheory Fitness enthusiast.