Have you ever thought life would be magically improved if you could just change a few habits? It sounds simple enough. Decide what you want to change and stick to it.
So, why haven’t you?
If you’ve ever felt frustrated trying to change your habits, you’re not alone. That’s because most people think that change is all about willpower. They tend to blame their lack of discipline or strength when things go wrong, and then feel even worse.
What people don’t realize is that implementing change is about more than determination. Your environment, routines, and even relationships play a crucial role in habit formation. Building sustainable change that supports your health goals means working with yourself rather than against yourself.
Here are some tips to help you build a lifestyle that naturally supports your health goals.
Identify Your Current Habits
Imagine a friend calls you on the phone and asks for directions to the grocery store. How would you give any directions without knowing where they’re starting? The store might be down the road and to the left for you, but on the other side of town for them. The same is true for setting goals. You have to know where you are to get where you want to go.
So, the first step to making change is to reflect openly and honestly about where you are now.
Ask yourself:
– What habits are currently serving me in life, and which aren’t?
– What actions do I want to start doing? And which do I want to stop?
Try to remove emotion from this process and simply gather information.
Instead of thinking, “All my relationships suck,” identify which relationships feel supportive and which don’t.
Instead of saying “I eat terribly,” determine how many healthy and unhealthy meals you actually eat each week.
Think of this like reviewing the stats after a game. The numbers don’t judge you, they simply show where you stand so you know what to improve.
Get the facts, and go from there.
Visualize the future
Once you know where you’re starting, the next step is deciding where you want to go. Without a destination in mind, it’s easy to wander from one health trend to the next without making meaningful progress.
Ask yourself:
- What does my dream life look like?
- How would I like to feel each day?
- What kind of person would I like to become?
Having a clear vision strengthens intrinsic motivation, the motivation that comes from within.
There are two kinds of motivation:
Extrinsic motivation is when we are driven through external factors such as rewards or avoidance of punishment. Some examples would be working extra hours for a promotion, cleaning your room to avoid getting in trouble, or working out to lose weight on the scale.
Intrinsic motivation comes from inherent joy or fulfillment. This may be working extra hours because you love what you do, cleaning your room because it creates peace, or working out because you enjoy feeling strong.
When you visualize a future based on intrinsic motivation, you are more likely to stay committed, even when challenges arise.
Implement sustainable routines
Making progress is not about changing everything at once. It’s about consistency.
Many people fall into the “all-or-nothing” trap, where they view habits in the extremes. These people tend to view themselves as a complete success or complete failure. They set unrealistic expectations for themselves and if they fall short, they believe they’ve ruined everything.
When they miss one workout or break their diet for one meal they may throw their hands up and give up all together.
Rather than celebrating small progress, they force themselves to be perfect.
Sustainable routines are built by taking small steps that are doable, mastering these steps, and then taking the next best step. Habits are built out of repetition, and you can’t repeat steps that feel impossible.
The person who has never meditated before should not start with an hour long practice each day. It would be more realistic to do three-minutes, three times a week. Once this has become a habit, they can decide to build upon it.
One helpful way to create realistic habits is by using SMART goals, which are:
Specific: The what, where, when, and how
Measurable: How you will measure your success
Attainable: The feasibility of the goal given your time, resources, and skills available
Relevant: How it relates to your overall vision or goals
Time-Bound: The specific time frame of your goal
Instead of saying “I want to exercise more,” try something like this:
“For the next four weeks I will go to my community gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for 30 minutes after work. I will use my calendar to schedule it in and my Apple Watch to track my workout. At the end of the month I will reassess to see how I feel.”
SMART goals help you create clear guidelines for your new habits, so you know exactly how to measure progress and success. It is also a way to set realistic expectations for yourself in order to build consistency.
Optimize your environment
Your environment influences your behaviors more than you probably realize. Many of our daily actions happen automatically because of the cues around us.
To change your habits, you can change your environment to make healthy choices easier.
Use Visual Cues
Adding or removing the physical things that remind you of a habit can help change the pattern.
If you would like to start walking each morning, try setting your shoes out somewhere you can see them right when you wake up.
If you would like to snack less, try putting tempting foods out of sight.
Adding or Reducing Friction
Change how easy or hard it is to do something by adding or reducing the steps.
If you want to eat healthier, purchase pre-chopped fruits and vegetables and nutritious grab-and-go items from the store.
If you want to stop scrolling on your phone at night, move your charger across the room.
Habit Stack
Pair a new habit with an already existing one, or replace a bad habit with a new, positive one.
If you want to meditate each morning, try doing it right after you brush your teeth. Your brain will associate this new action with one that is already easy to remember.
If you want to stop eating a sweet treat after dinner, try making a cup of tea, doing a 5-minute meditation, or going on a short walk instead.
The more your environment supports your goals, the less energy you’ll spend trying to make healthy decisions.
Track and Celebrate Progress
How will you know if you’re making progress if you never measure it?
Tracking progress gives you valuable feedback on your action steps. It helps you recognize what’s working and identify areas that may need adjustment.
Depending on your goals, you may use concrete evidence or how you feel to track your progress. It can be measured through:
- Body composition
- Energy levels
- Better sleep
- Consistency
- Confidence
- The way your clothes fit
- Increasing weight in the gym
Additionally, it’s important to celebrate your progress. Recognizing your wins builds confidence and reinforces the behaviors you’re trying to create.
Find a way to celebrate yourself that feels right to you. This may be treating yourself to a spa day, sharing the news with a friend, or documenting your win. Whatever it is, it should make you feel good about what you’ve been doing and encourage you to keep going.
Build a Support system
Habits become easier to maintain when you have people to support you along the way. A solid support system can help with accountability, guidance, and encouragement when things become challenging.
Your support system may include:
- Healthcare professionals
- Family members
- Roommates
- Friends
- A coach
- People trying to accomplish the same goal as you
When you feel connected to and supported by others, you’re more likely to stay engaged with your goals. It helps sustain motivation and strengthens accountability to your actions.
your next step
Building a healthier life isn’t about becoming a different person overnight. It’s about creating an environment and routines that make healthy choices feel realistic and sustainable.
Lasting change rarely relies on motivation alone. It comes from understanding where you are, knowing where you want to go, and taking small, intentional steps.
At Momentum Fit, we believe health is about helping people build lifestyles they can enjoy and sustain for years to come. No matter what your goals are, we are here to provide support, guidance, accountability, and community to help you get there.
Your health journey begins with one small step, and you don’t have to take it alone.
To book a free consultation with a trainer at Momentum Fit click here
For more resources on how to set to SMART goals and change habits, check out the following:
https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/changing-habits/
