Picture this: A world where making healthy choices feels effortless, where your goals become your reality, and where success becomes a way of life. That world can easily be yours, but it all begins with the power of daily habits.
Today we’ll discover the magic of habits, examining daily rituals and the power that discipline and consistency can have that leads to lasting change.
What Are Habits Really
Habits are the actions that you repeat often. That’s it.
Think about it now. What does your morning routine look like? Take a second and really think about it. What are the habits that you have every day?
See, what people who don’t have intentional habits fail to realize is that your life is a direct reflection of the habits you have.
Why is someone in shape? Because their habits, the actions that they repeat often, include healthy eating and exercise. The “in shape” part is just the by-product of those two habits. Someone who didn’t care about being in shape would naturally be that way if they had those two habits. So in this way, even very small changes can have a big impact.
Habits are important because they are like architects, skillfully constructing your life. The impact of your actions doesn’t require massive leaps, rather it’s the small, consistent changes that lead to monumental transformations. These habits, as subtle as they may be, contribute to the masterpiece that is your life.
The power to shape your destiny lies in your everyday choices.
So if habits are that important to who you will be tomorrow and more so who you will be a year from now, let’s learn how to build habits that align with your goals and enhance your well-being.
Learning To Juggle
Now that you know what habits are and how they can affect your future, let’s talk about how to start creating healthier habits. It’s actually really easy, and you only need to choose one or two new habits to see big changes in your life.
And that’s really the first step: keep it simple.
It’s not a good idea to try to change everything all at once because it’s hard to try to keep up with so many new things at the same time. This is a big reason why people get discouraged on a new health kit. We tend to go into “all or nothing” mode and it’s just not sustainable in most situations.
For example: If you wanted to learn to juggle… you wouldn’t start with five oranges, three apples, and a few lemons right away. You would start with one or two objects and practice until you felt comfortable with those items. Then, and only then would you think about adding more.
Habits are the same way. It’s okay to start small and learn as you go.
Let yourself be a beginner.
So what are 1-3 habits that you’d like to have this time next month?
Pick them out and then let’s make sure that they’re S.M.A.R.T.!
S.M.A.R.T. Habits
S.M.A.R.T. stands for
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound.
S.M.A.R.T. habits make the biggest impact towards achieving your goals and improving your well-being and here’s an example that shows why:
Imagine two friends, Lily and Alex, who both want to get fit.
Alex simply decides to exercise more without any clear direction.
Lily starts by setting a specific goal: to run for 30 minutes three times a week.
Lily’s habit/goal is measurable: She uses a timer to track her running time and keeps a log of her progress. This way, she can see how she improves over time. Meanwhile, Alex doesn’t measure anything and isn’t sure if their exercise routine is making a difference.
Lily’s habits are achievable because she starts with a realistic goal. She knows that running for 30 minutes three times a week is something she can manage. In contrast, Alex sets a vague goal to exercise every day, which may be difficult to sustain.
Lily’s habits are relevant to her goal of getting fit. She focuses on running, which is a form of exercise that she enjoys and knows will help her reach her fitness aspirations. Alex, however, tries different exercises randomly without a clear connection to their goal.
Lastly, Lily sets a time-bound habit. She schedules her runs for specific days and times during the week. This way, she ensures that she stays committed to her goal. On the other hand, Alex doesn’t have a fixed schedule and often ends up skipping exercise sessions.
Who do you think ended up reaching their goal? And more importantly, probably enjoyed the process versus getting stressed out about it? You can download my free Smart Goal Setting form here.
How to create S.M.A.R.T. habits:
- Identify a specific goal: What do you want to achieve?
- Make it measurable: Find a way to track your progress and see improvement.
- Ensure it’s achievable: Set realistic habits that you can maintain.
- Make it relevant: Choose habits that align with your goal and interests.
- Set a time-bound habit: Schedule specific times to engage in your habit.
For example, if your goal is to improve your fitness, you could set a S.M.A.R.T. habits like walking for 30 minutes every day after school or work. You can measure your progress like time and distance by using a fitness tracker. This habit is achievable and relevant to your fitness goal, and it’s time-bound because you do it after a set time every day.
Here are some practical examples of S.M.A.R.T. habits you can adopt to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Remember, it’s all about simplicity and gradual progression – Rome wasn’t built in a day, was it?
Let’s start with the first meal of the day. Making sure you’re fueling your body right off the bat is a game changer for energy levels, mood, and concentration.
Habit: Eating a balanced breakfast:
S.M.A.R.T. Habit: Eat a breakfast filled with at least 25 grams of protein and includes fiber within two hours of waking up, five days a week.
You can measure this by keeping a food journal or using a food-tracking app. This goal is realistic, relevant to maintaining good health, and time-bound within your morning routine.
What about the common goal to exercise more often? Regular exercise doesn’t mean you need to become a marathon runner. Unless that’s your goal but even then it won’t happen overnight.
Habit: Regular Exercise
S.M.A.R.T. Habit: Walk briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week during your lunch break.
Measure your progress with a fitness tracker or smartphone app. This habit is achievable for most people, it’s specific, relevant to fitness, and you’ve set a specific time frame to make it happen.
Hydration is the key to overall health. But how much water should you drink? The ‘8×8 rule’ was always what I was told but for whatever reason that wasn’t as easy for me to accomplish as saying a gallon of water every day. Is it the same amount? Yes. Was it easier for me because I bought a half gallon water bottle and only had to remember to go through that twice a day? Also, yes but do what works for you!
Habit: Stay Hydrated
S.M.A.R.T. Habit: Drink eight glasses of water a day, tracking each glass in a health app or diary.
Or polish off a half gallon water bottle twice a day.
Or if you’re a real beast, load up a gallon jug every day and destroy it once!
This is specific, measurable, absolutely achievable, relevant for health, and time-bound to your daily routine.
Food is so much more than just fuel, despite what many fitness gurus try to convince us of. I LOVE food. It’s a form of enjoyment as well as nourishment. That’s where mindful eating comes into play.
Habit: Mindful Eating
S.M.A.R.T. Habit: Spend at least 20 minutes on your dinner, focusing on the flavors, textures, and the act of eating itself, for four nights a week.
Track your habit by logging your dinner time, making this habit measurable, achievable, and time-bound.
Good sleep is the backbone of good health. Yet, many of us are sleep deprived. Let’s fix that!
Habit: Quality Sleep
S.M.A.R.T. Habit: Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night, tracking your sleep with a smartwatch, an app, or good ‘ole fashion pen and paper. Make your bedroom a sleep-friendly environment, establish a regular bedtime and stick to it, making this habit specific, measurable, achievable, and time-bound.
And there you have it! Five S.M.A.R.T. examples of healthy habits.
Remember, the goal here isn’t to adopt all of these habits at once. Pick one or two that resonate with you and start from there. And make your own that get you excited about what life is going to be like once the habit is second nature to you.
As we said earlier, the power of habits lies in their simplicity and repetition. These small, steady changes will lead you to monumental transformations in your health and well-being.
Ensuring Success With Your Habits
Building the habits is only half the battle. Ensuring their longevity is the other. Now, let’s address the golden question:
How do you stay consistent and committed to these habits to make sure they stick?
Let’s explore four key strategies: Consistency, Creating Supportive Environments, Mindfulness and Self-Reflection, and Being a Good Example.
Consistency:
What’s the magic secret behind any successful habit? Consistency.
Habits are created through repetition and become stronger every time you perform them. But you can even make consistency a habit! Here’s how:
S.M.A.R.T. Consistency: Commit to your chosen habit for 30 days straight. Each day is a tick in the box, a step closer to your goal. Every small win is a victory on the road to habit formation. If you stumble one day, don’t be hard on yourself, tomorrow is a fresh start! You can download a free habit tracker in my healthy trackers bundle here.
Creating Supportive Environments:
Our environment often dictates our actions. If we design our surroundings to support our goals, our habits will naturally follow suit.
If your goal is to drink more water, keep a filled water bottle on your desk. Available in the fridge. At your night stand. Make it easy to see, easy to do.
If your goal is to lose weight, don’t buy processed foods that you struggle to say no to. Load up on more veggies in your shopping cart. It’s easier to avoid those late night sweet tooths when you have to make a whole run to the store for it.
If you’re striving for better sleep, create a relaxing bedroom environment with soft lights. I have a diffuser that automatically turns on at a certain time in the evening.
Remove the barriers that stand between you and your habits. Tailoring your environment is an effective, specific, and achievable approach to ensure habit longevity.
Mindfulness and Self-Reflection:
Being aware of our actions and the motivations behind them is a powerful tool for success. Mindfulness allows us to be present in the moment, while self-reflection provides valuable insights into our progress.
Spend 10 minutes at the end of each day reflecting on your habits. (This is a habit in and of itself).
What worked well?
What was challenging?
How can you improve tomorrow?
Write it all down! You’ll be shocked at how much this little 10 minutes check in will restructure your life.
Being a Good Example:
Nothing is more powerful than leading by example. Not only will setting and sticking to new habits and making an effort like this help to shape your life, but it could inspire others to embark on their own journey of habit formation. And who is most likely to start new healthy habits and be affected by the journey you’re on? Your loved ones.
The journey of creating and maintaining healthy habits is about slow and steady progress, not overnight perfection. Consistency, a supportive environment, mindfulness, self-reflection, and leading by example are just tools in your toolkit towards success.
Think about who you want to be a month from now, a year from now. Really think about it. What does their daily habits look like? Start doing incorporating those into your routine NOW and that version of you will start to manifest naturally.
Now pick 1-3 new habits to start this week.
Make them S.M.A.R.T. and then once you are doing them naturally without thinking about it anymore.. Add a new one. And repeat the cycle.
Happy Habit Forming!
XO- L