Remember New Year resolutions?  Those were a fun joke.  Let’s be honest now, how many of you are keeping up with them?

Your list might look something like this:

• Get healthy and workout everyday. Yeah… that lasted a few weeks
• Limit social media when around friends and family. Does snap-chatting videos of each other count?
• Save money. I’m using my Nordstrom credit card now instead of my debit card… that’s saving, right?
• Stop worrying about what others and accomplishing and focus on your achievements. #NoMoreFOMO. I’m not going to Coachella this year.. and.. I didn’t watch the Super Bowl.. so.. I accomplished this one?

Okay, those might seem a little ridiculous. But my case being, you’re not alone… I’m there with ya! Starting the New Year with goals is good! But as we all know stuff happens, we get crazy busy, etc. and we fall back into old habits. Literally, a habit is described as a behavior or routine we perform unconsciously. Such behaviors/ habits are things like showering, the way we speak, the route we drive to work, the foods we eat, the time we go to bed/time we wake up, and so on. These are all general routines we perform “unconsciously” day-to-day. So, when we want to make change, you can assume this is a recognized, well-thought out, conscious decision to do something differently. Our minds and actions won’t merely do this naturally, but we have to change our perception and choose to think, react and then change.

Today marks the third day of February. This means we’ve had a month to implement new habits. Although some of us might be more successful at this point than others (I’m guilty), its not too late to reevaluate and adapt. Remember my post on adapting to weight-loss? It’s the same concept. Without adaptation and failure, we can’t succeed. 

Here are my Top 4 Ways to Create Sustainable Habits:

1. Write it down. Literally, I would lose my head if I didn’t write things down. The visual learner that I am, I feel that when I write down some goals, I’m able to keep myself  more accountable. If its written down, its out there and you can’t take it back. Also, I like to place dates and numbers to things. This is a good way to measure your success because the numbers never lie.
2. Check yo-self, before you wreck-yo-self! Every couple of weeks I find it helpful to do a little self check-in. In other words, go back to your journal or digital note where you wrote down your goals and think about what you’ve accomplished. Then, think about what you still want to achieve. Often, its easier to tackle one thing at a time. Think of it as a massive “to do list”. Or, give yourself little goals to accomplish instead of one big thing. This way you don’t feel as if you’re just spinning your wheels. For example, if weight-loss is your goal. Take measurements of your body and then remeasure a few weeks later. Or, maybe eating healthier is what you’re after. Therefore, keep a food journal and then look back over it and see how you’re doing.
3. Reward. Don’t forget to recognize what you’ve succeeded at as well! Reward yourself. It could be something as simple as indulging in your favorite macarons, or getting a celebratory pedicure. Whatever is it, just be sure to not over indulge. We don’t want to get off track.
4. Be persistent. Have you ever slipped? I don’t mean literally, but like a slip-up… like you made a mistake. You ate the entire bag of chocolate chips instead of just handful.  Oh please, you know you’ve done that before! Don’t kick yourself while you’re down, give yourself some credit. We are human… and this whole changing habits thing, it can be journey. It may take you a few trials and errors to get it down. But, remember that persistence and hard work will get you there. There is not magic potion, recipe or pill that will make things instantly happen for you. And if there is, its your duty to share the location of where I can get it! But really, YOU are in the driver seat. So put the pedal to the metal and keep up the good work!

Tweet me @JamieDanno or tell me in the comment section below, what new habits or goals are you after? And, what have you accomplished so far this year?