When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, many will begin their annual resolutions: more reading, less scrolling; more home cooking, less ordering in; more walking, less couch time. We may have the intention of sticking to such goals, but everyday life — work, family, motivational struggles — gets in the way. It’s no wonder over 41% of Americans make resolutions, and only 1% stick with them for the full year. The problem? According to experts, we often set unrealistic goals or ones that don’t account for those everyday life scenarios. Instead, building healthy habits can help you achieve long-term, more sustainable health goals.
Building healthy habits vs. setting resolutions
Resolutions are widely used to talk about goals at the beginning of the New Year. These commitments are usually outcome oriented, such as “lose 10 pounds”. While resolutions are ambitious and clear, they often lack the specific rituals or process to get to the end goal. Resolutions, thus, might feel overwhelming or vague.
Habits, on the other hand, are small, repeated actions that are easier to maintain long-term. When performed regularly, habits can become automatic or a regular part of your routine. So, while you can have a resolution to lose 10 pounds, you’ll only achieve it by building clear habits as stepping stones toward your larger goal. These might include:
- Making a green juice every morning
- Get 10k steps throughout the day
- Journaling in the evening to transition to a restful sleep
These habits are trackable, sustainable, and help build consistency toward your larger goal.
Habit stacking
One of the easiest ways to self-sabotage a New Year’s resolution or health goal is to overcommit to the goal. Instead, focus on a healthy habit that feels reasonable as part of your already existing routine. Do you drive to work? Park in the furthest spot possible to get you extra steps. Do you normally spend the night on your phone? Set a timer for 10 minutes, and switch to a book when the time is up.
This idea, also known as habit stacking, helps ground a new healthy habit into one that’s already engrained into your day-to-day. This method helps adopt new behaviors without overwhelm in the hopes that over time, they’ll become ingrained into your everyday routine, too.
What is environmental design?
Your environment is a key factor in influencing your habits and behaviors. Consider that 10-pound weight loss goal mentioned above. To be successful at it, your environment must support your goal by:
- Keeping healthy food in your refrigerator and removing junk food from pantries
- Putting exercise equipment in sight so your morning workout is top of mind
- Using a diffuser or eucalyptus candle to create a stress-free environment
This concept, known as environmental design, is rooted in behavioral psychology and helps reduce friction for positive habits. It also relies less on willpower and instead makes the habit more automatic.
Measuring success
How can you ensure your habits are successful? Unlike resolutions, habits are about consistency rather than the outcome. Use these three methods to build the consistency needed for successful habits:
- Resiliency. Setbacks will happen. Learning how to pick yourself up and restart is key. Have compassion for yourself and your ever evolving habit and know that adapting to change makes the habit stronger than ever.
- Progress. Aiming for perfection will only leave you burnt out and disappointed. Remember: success happens with incremental growth.
- Celebrate. Track and celebrate your consistency, no matter how small. Completed your morning workout five days in a row? It’s worth acknowledging and patting yourself on the back before moving on to the next milestone.