Many of us, at the start of the new year, may have set new goals and decided to commit to healthier habits. We may have decided to start exercising more, become more organized, stay in touch with friends more frequently, or start doing chores around the house more. However, staying committed or even starting to make a habit out of these goals may have proven to be more difficult than we expected. Here are a few tips to help you develop healthier habits.

1. Get in the right mindset.
Sometimes when trying to commit to a new goal, we find ourselves thinking that we’ll do it eventually, whether it be in the next couple hours, the next day, or the next week. After a while, it becomes increasingly difficult to get around to accomplishing the said goal; it slips our mind, and we become doubtful as to whether we’ll ever get around to even beginning to work towards the goal in the first place. In becoming determined and creating the right mindset that allows you to focus and be sure of what you want to do, said goal becomes something you can’t avoid. Being set on accomplishing a certain goal will help you remain focused on it and will also ensure that you are able to stay committed.

2. Set a schedule
Whether it’s on your phone, on your calendar, in your agenda, or even if it’s simply sticking a sticky note on an easily spotted area such as your fridge, bathroom door, or laptop, setting a reminder is a helpful way to remind you to revisit your goal. You may have a full plate and may not be able to remember to always revisit your goal. In setting a schedule, you’ll be able to remind yourself that a certain time is allotted for you to complete your goal. Additionally, in creating your schedule, you are able to incorporate other tasks that take up your time such as school, clubs, work, or meetings and guarantee that you’ll have time at some point in your day, week, or month to accomplish your goal.

3. Do things little by little
When trying to develop a healthier habit or accomplish your goal, start out by doing things little by little. It may be difficult, for example, to start exercising every day for one hour so instead, you could set aside thirty minutes of your day at least three times a week dedicated to exercising. By starting out little by little, you are able to ease yourself into the process of trying to develop a healthier habit and it will also be easier for you to maintain such a schedule. You may find that doing little by little routinely works better for you and that is a schedule you would want to stick to rather than what you originally planned.

4. Don’t over-reprimand yourself
It is natural to get discouraged if you are not able to maintain a steady schedule right off the bat and you may get frustrated at yourself and want to do better. However, don’t reprimand yourself to the point where it turns into constant criticism. While it is helpful to criticize yourself in a way where it is constructive (helps you do better and grow), criticizing yourself too much and always putting yourself down is not healthy. It is important to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes in the process of trying to accomplish your goals.

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