Achieve Your Goals and Create Change with Daily Quantifiable Routines
Are you wondering how to build healthy habits? Perhaps you have goals in mind and no matter how hard you try or what you do, you cannot figure out how to achieve them. A recent study conducted by Duke University suggests that habits are attributed to 40 percent of our behaviors each and every day! When you understand how to create healthy and constructive habits, and realize how and why current ones are not working for you, you will notice transformation and progress in your fitness, health, and overall well-being.
So what are some habit-changing strategies to help kick repeated and non-constructive behaviours and launch you into your transformation? Let’s find out.
Habits: The Architecture of Everyday Life
In with the new and out with the old. Self-improvement power strategies can help mold our existence and shape our future; they are extremely important in leading a positive life. Why? Because when we change our daily habits, we change the trajectory of our lives!
● Begin Small
When you are working on changing your habits, start small. Think about your very next step and don’t think about the end goal just yet. Taking things day by day and seeing gradual improvement in your habits and behaviors will inevitably render success in the long run. This doesn’t come without dedication and determination, so stick with it! Remember, the ‘motivational wave’ will introduce you to the ebbs and flows of goal-setting and habit-changing. Ride out this wave! You won’t crash in the whitewater if you commit; you’ll get better.
● Cut larger habits in half
Starting off small and working your way up is key in achieving your goals. If your goal is to do 100 push-ups per day, try breaking that down into 10 sets of 10 push-ups. Take a rest in between each set. Every set is a milestone bringing you closer to your target.
● When you slip, get right back on track
When you are in the midst of transformation, mistakes and setbacks will occur. A way to overcome this is not to get discouraged by missing out on a newly-developed behavior, but rather take note of how and why you ‘slipped up’; what were the events and mindset leading up to it and how can you prevent it in the future. Having the awareness to bounce back when you get off track is part of the consistency needed to transform.
Being Actionable Leads to Long-Term Growth
When you are in transformation you have to find the sweet spot of a) a rhythm that works for you and b) ensuring that it is still measurable. This fine balance will help gradually and consistently lead you toward your goals while you grow and transform. When you can sustain your growth, be patient, and stay consistent, you will notice incredible progress. Sustainability is key - for example, if your goal is to lift heavier on a certain exercise, you must add weights on a progressive and gradual basis.
Taking small quantifiable steps will also help to mitigate burnout. When you can reach your actionable goal without having to ‘give up’ completely, you will feel great about being exactly where you intended to be. This brings you one step closer in your journey toward total transformation.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to mastering behaviors and habits. When you implement them daily and make them habitual, they will naturally evolve into new behaviors and habits that become part of your everyday routine and life. When you change habits in a way that works for you, you are much more likely to meet your goals.
You must stay accountable. If you have a gym buddy that you have been working out with for months or years and they move to a different city, is this going to shape the trajectory of your exercising? Do you quit because they moved away, or do you continue to commit yourself despite their absence? Accountability means being held responsible for your actions, admitting to them, understanding where you went wrong, realizing where you can improve, and getting back on track.
When you are transforming, you are shedding parts of your identity that you want or need to let go. It’s time to commit to healthy habits! EPOCH can help guide you on the path of change. Check out our ‘Make a Change’ initiative and learn how to create a strong foundation to transformation.