This might be the most important article you read all year.
When I became an IIN health coach, one statement stuck with me. "People know what their obstacle or bad habit is, they just might not be ready to work with willpower to change." If you dig down and secretly say to yourself, "what is it?" You will know.
You can fix what happened during the holidays and reach your resolution goal this time by starting some healthy habits.
Habits are started by cues, action and reward. For example, you crave a desert, you eat it, you feel full, but then maybe remorseful. If you change the cycle so that when you crave a desert/drink/smoke, you instead do 10 mins of yoga/go for a walk/take a nicotine mint and feel satisfied/uplifted/fulfilled.
My area of expertise is fitness (boot camps at Equinox, Face Yoga and Vinyasa at OG Yoga, writing and TV appearances on wellness) but the psychology behind habit change has always intrigued me. ai recently read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg andAtomic Habits. by James Clear. If there is a habit you want to change you must create a new routine. Make the bad habit difficult, and unattractive. Make the replacement habit easy. Two decades ago I quit smoking cigarettes by only allowing myself to smoke half, then I had to re-light the half later if I wanted more. Gross. I made the old habit unattractive. I replaced it with journaling. You can do the same.
Planning the SMART way
Write down and plan your new habit cycle with specifics like time, place, duration.
Make it measurable by creating a timeline, weekly goals, etc.
Make it attainable by making the goal not running a marathon, but jogging 3 miles a day on M/W/F at (when and where) like selecting a gym near work at 5pm. Write it down in a planner.
Make it time -bound. "I will run for 2 minutes per day the first week 5 minutes the second week. 10 the third and 20 min by the end of the month."
Other Examples:
-Instead of smoking in the car because I'm bored, I'll leave by e-cig at home and listen to an audiobook while I drive instead, so I'm distracted.
-Instead of going to lunch and drinks with friends, I'll plan a hike on Wednesdays and Fridays at 1pm with them at the beach.
-I'm depressed so I will get a dog and will hire a therapist tomorrow. Will meet twice a week at 6pm Monday and Wednesday at their office which is on my way home from work.
-I'll start exercising by hiring a triainer, 8am Tuesday and Thursday at my house. I'll download the Calm app and meditate every morning at 7am.
-I have to save money and I want to sleep better: say no to any event that starts after 6pm and costs money. Instead get a money-saving habit like cooking Hello Fresh dinners at home and doing a bath, yoga, spa, candle routine at home before bed.
Habit Stacking and Tracking
Habit stacking means paring something you want to do with something you have to do. Write out the habits you want to replace the bad ones with. Instead of email and social media in the morning, I'll get out of bed with spa music on, brush teeth, wash face put in my contacts (have to) and write in a journal (want to). I have to drive the kids to the bus stop and I want to put on my makeup so I bring it in the car and do it while I wait. I have to drive to my workout and I want to do antiaging face yoga while so I do it on the road listening to my favorite podcast.
You can also set up a reward system. For example. if your resolution is to save money, for every item you don't mindlessly buy, save that amount of money for a trip.
Who are you?
Much of people's identity is essential in change and habits. Are you an athlete or trying to get into a workout routine/lose 10 bs? If you say you are an athlete then you will become that identity. If you say you are trying to work out, that means you are still not a fitness buff.
Keystone Habits
One small change is the keystone to a waterfall of other changes.
Whatever your resolution is, and you know what it should be. Start today with an actionable item and email me. The new identity of your resolution will happen when you are proud of yourself for breaking the bad habit cycle! You are a champion.
Other examples of identity... are you:
Non-smoker or someone who is trying to quit?
Yogi or someone who is trying to be less stressed?
Someone who is doing Dry January or "trying to"?
Chess player with my family or gambler trying to quit?
Strong willpower or weak and unsure how to start?
For a 10 minute or 30 minute workout or yoga class, check out my free videos at youtube.com/nikkifitness. Contact me at IG:@nikkifitness for personal training, health coaching, private yoga sessions, family workouts , pre and post-natal fitness, and anti-aging face yoga. Believe and you will become your goal!
NikkiFitness is the author of The Slimnastics Workout and Squirrel Yoga for Sunshine (Amazon) and the star of 15 fitness videos on youtube.She has been featured in over 500 national media outlets including Live! with Kelly and Michael, Fox and Friends, the New York Times, GMA, Woman’s Health, US Weekly, Fit Pregnancy, Prevention, Woman’s Day, Fitness, First for Women, Health Magazine, Self, and more.
Once you find the replacement behavior, you have power over your habits.