When is the best time to make changes in your eating or exercise habits? New Year is a popular time for people to try and put some changes in place. But why do they often not stick for a decent amount of time?
Most people think it’s because they don’t have good will-power. But no-one really has great will-power! The real reason for not sticking to change is motivation and prioritising. Are you focusing enough on keeping the motivation for your original goal in place? Or are you letting your life take over and get you back into your old habits? There are a whole lot of excuses that creep up on us, but they are just that – excuses. You can choose to let them stand in your way or you can choose to work harder to overcome them.
Look at why you want to make the change
What is the purpose? Why are you wanting to lose weight or start exercising? It is important to know the purpose, and to keep it at the forefront of your thoughts. The two problems that often arise:
Create the new habits
You have to make the change happen, and to do this you need to have a plan as to what you will do and when you will start. Will you add in some exercise, will you pack a lunch bag for work? Add the action into your diary so that you cannot forget it in your hectic schedule. Choose one or two habits to work on and add more as you go along. If you feel you have no time, do a check on how much time in the day you actually waste on unnecessary things such as Facebook!
Get a support structure
It helps to have people around you who have similar habits who will support you in your quest for change. Know who will help and who will hinder your progress. Having a support team (you can find these online or create your own) who will check in regularly with each other and where you can bounce off difficult times is very helpful when you are trying to make changes.
Be accountable
When you have someone who will holds you accountable for making the change it becomes easier to stick it out in the first few months until the habit has become more seated. This can be a friend or a partner; or get a trainer or dietician to help you get into the good habits.
Change can feel overwhelming, especially when your day-to-day life feels chaotic. So make small changes over time. Divide your ultimate goal into a number of small ones that you can tackle over time to get to your main goal. You can do it!
