5 Tips To Stay Consistent With New Habits

Creating new habits to improve yourself is a major part of most new year’s resolutions. However, it’s important to remember that just because it’s the new year, it doesn’t mean you need to feel the pressure of making major changes in your life. It’s a good idea to use this time as a reset to help your mindset and put you on track for success - but it’s definitely not necessary to make big changes or goals if you don’t feel like it.

If you’re trying to implement new habits this year, it’s beneficial to have a plan and guidelines in place to help you be consistent. A lot of people abandon their new year’s resolutions before February - so I’m here to give you tips to keep you on track throughout the year!

Write down all the habits you want to implement

It’s imperative to make a list of all the new habits you want to start doing in the new year. I hate to break it to you but, simply keeping them in your head isn’t enough. You need to write them down either on paper, in a computer document, or on your phone. And be specific as possible. Taking things out of your mind and physically writing them somewhere where you can visibly see them makes more of a difference than you might realize.

Come up with how often to do these habits

Let’s get even MORE specific, shall we? Sure you can come up with all the new habits you want, but if you don’t specify how often you want to implement them, you’re already making it more difficult to stay on track. Be specific with each habit - do you want to do it daily, weekly, biweekly? Doing this will force you to think about what’s realistic for you. Maybe working out daily is way too big of a jump for you, so start with the goal of working out once a week. You can always modify it as you go along and increase your consistency.

Create a routine that best fits these habits

Come up with a schedule for when you will complete these habits. Make sure you plan what will be successful for YOU. For example, some people may not be consistent in choosing a workout routine first thing in the morning. Maybe afternoon workouts are better for you because of your schedule and your energy levels. Choose what makes the most sense for you, not based on what other people are doing. 

Try putting the habits in your calendar or setting reminders each day. This will help you be more mindful about the habits and get you used to incorporating them into your schedule.

Track your habits

You NEED to track your habits to understand and see your progress. Most people do better when they can visually see their progress. Try out different tracking methods like journaling, tallying or checking off on a whiteboard, printable habit tracking sheets, or phone apps for tracking. Figure out what works best for you and start consistently tracking every single day. Make it part of your nightly routine to track your progress. What’s funny is that tracking your habits is a habit in itself! So consistency is key here.

Don’t overload yourself

You may feel like you have a ton of things you want to try out and do, especially at the top of the year. But, be careful not to do too much too fast. That’s when it can get overwhelming and stressful. This can stunt your progress. Start with 1 or 2 small habits and if you feel like you’ve mastered those after a month or 2, you can start slowly adding in more if you’d like. But, even just sticking to 1-2 new habits the whole year, is impressive and should be celebrated!

There’s no reason to rush into things and try to do everything. Remember, creating and following new habits shouldn’t cause you stress or deteriorate your mental health, it should only have a positive impact on you. If you feel overly stressed, be sure to reevaluate your habits and realign them with yourself and what works for you.

Anyone can say they want to try a new habit, but you need to have a plan if you want to truly be successful. Following these tips is a great start. Everyone is different, so you may find that other things help you with consistency outside of this list - and that’s okay! Tweak this plan to be unique to your needs and your mindset. Anything that helps you stay on track is what you should be implementing. Remember to celebrate even the smallest wins because you’re doing amazing just by trying!