Seven rules for setting yourself up for success!

Change is hard. The bigger the change, the harder it is. 

This leads to our first way to help you be successful in incorporating change. Start small. Little changes are easier for your brain to accept. It is easy to adopt a positive change if it is presented in baby steps. Increase the time a little bit each day and it won’t seem an overwhelming task.

Commit to doing your new change for 30 days.

It’s not too hard to do, but it is long enough for you to become accustomed to doing it. The process will soon become reinforced as a new behavior. As it becomes part of your day to day routine, you will begin to carve out time in your schedule to make it happen.

Try to work on changing one thing at a time. 

The idea is to do one thing at a time, to keep it simple. If you try and change too many things at once, it becomes a chore and can become overwhelming. If you feel overwhelmed, you will not continue to implement change. By doing one change at a time, you give it a chance to take root and flourish. Much like a new seedling growing in your garden. It will take root and you will see the beautiful flowers as it eventually blooms. It just takes time and patience.

Tell other people what you are doing.

It makes you accountable for your progress. Family and friends really are interested in helping you. They may become an integral part of your support team. However, if you don’t feel comfortable with this or feel they may not be rooting for your success, find just one person you can tell that is supportive and wants to help you succeed. You can even encourage each other on fulfilling your own personal goals.

Perform your new habit early in the day. 

You are off to a fresh to start in the morning, highly motivated and ready to tackle change. Your energy levels and enthusiasm are primed and your to do list has not grown into multiple tasks that will delay progress. As the day goes on, you may get lazy, tired, or unmotivated and want to sit on the couch and chill. Get it done early and it will be easier.

Remember why you are doing it. 

Make yourself a note or a big sign so that you can keep a reminder of your purpose front and center. When your motivation to keeping up with change lags, remind yourself of the reasons you started your new habit to begin with. Remember the long-term benefits.

Forgive yourself if you fail. 

Don’t beat yourself up if you stumble or occasionally lapse. Change comes from what you do over time. The whole idea of change is to build yourself up to be a better you. If you beat yourself up, how does this help you? It doesn’t! It just makes you feel unsuccessful. Let it go, look at your progress over time and remember that change is a long-term behavior. You may slip up and when you do get right back on that proverbial horse the next day. Don’t look back, continue to look forward and permanent change will happen.