Developing new and healthy habits is a powerful way to get precisely what you want out of life. If you can stick to a routine, you can practically do and achieve anything. However, establishing and following new habits is a lot easier said than done. It takes hard work, dedication, commitment, and more to make it happen.

The following are five ways to make new habits stick to achieve more goals:


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1. Start Small, Easy and Repetitive

Make the habit you want to incorporate so easy that you can’t avoid it. For example, instead of going cold turkey on your new diet, find a few foods you can eliminate easily first, like nightly soda or ice cream for dessert.

Then as you easily accomplish these things each day, increase it until you get closer to your goal. Remember the stories from your childhood you read. The turtle knew, slow and steady wins the race. This is because you can better manage your energy to ensure you are around for the long run. This same concept can be applied when establishing new goals. Don’t make them harder than they need to be, especially when first starting. Otherwise, you will only avoid it and delay your progress.

2. Understand Your Why

Knowing the reasons, you want to change your habits in the first place will be immensely helpful in developing good habits. What is essential about establishing this new habit? Understand the benefits of accomplishing it as well as the consequences if you don’t.

The number one reason for failing any new habit and goal is the lack of understanding of why you want it in the first place. Without this step, you will often try to add routines to your life that will never stick because they don’t reflect your values or goals in life.

3. Remove Temptations or Triggers

In other words, if you want to eat less junk food, don’t buy it. Don’t even go down the aisles or streets of places you know have your favorite foods if you can help it. If you don’t see it, you won’t want to reach for It, and even if you do like it, you can’t because it won’t be there.

4. Set Yourself Up for Success

Find the right resources, add the right tools and technology, and educate yourself as much as possible. The more knowledge and help you have, the easier it will be. For example, if you want to be a jogger first thing in the morning, have your shoes and outfit ready to go and get enough sleep the night before to make sure you get up.

To put it another way, the environment, people, and things you are around the most influence your actions or lack thereof.

5. Use the Habit Reflection Technique

To use this technique, think of the good habits or goals you have already established and how you made them happen. Which tools and resources did you use to get there? What challenges did you notice on the way? Then see how you can use and adapt this information for your new goal.

Research shows that you are more likely to be successful with this approach because it is more personal—you and only you know it worked and what you need to get it done. In the end, you should always expect and plan for slip-ups. No one is perfect. Learn to be more patient and, most importantly, be persistent.

Don’t wait for the right time to get started. Realize your goals and take action now with these tips.

What the Professionals are Saying: 

"Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” - Warren Edward Buffett 

“Energy is usually at its peak during the first part of your day, which means you should be completing habits that inspire or excite you about the day ahead.” - SJ Scott


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Where will I be five or ten years from now if I will not make changes?

I'll see you guys in class,

Dante