Create Lasting Habits by Connecting to Your "Why"
Have you broken a new year’s resolution already? Here’s one Helpful tip to creating a new habit that will have lasting impact
I know, I know – everyone is gushing about habits this time of year. You may be in the throes of steadfastly sticking to the newest habit in your regime, or you might have already given up on one already. Whichever the case, there is a science to making a new habit stick.
⚡ One helpful tip for making a new habit last is to get clear on the bigger ‘why’.
❓What is so important about the new habit that you’ve committed to? Why does it matter if you do this? What’s the impact you’re looking to achieve with this habit?
Look a little deeper than the goal itself.
When we say we want to lose 10lbs, what’s the point of that? Last year, I decided on a tropey new years resolution to lose my ‘covid’ weight.
👓 At first, I wasn’t clear on the real reason I wanted to do this, but when I dug a bit deeper, it was because I had a lot of chronic pain in my joints and couldn’t move the way I wanted to play with my kids. I wanted to lose the weight, not for the number on the scale, but to be an active role model for my children, to feel good in my body and be able to move more easily.
That big ‘why’ really helped to anchor me when I was making choices about what foods I was eating or deciding whether to go for a walk versus sit on the couch.
📈 It was a journey with ups and downs, 📉and I used an online app to help me along the way. But in the end, I lost 30lbs (and have maintained that), have way more self-control with my food choices and my chronic pain is almost completely gone. I can run around with my kids, move without pain, and I feel great.
When creating habits, anchor yourself to a bigger WHY. Really think about what you’ll gain and commit that to memory. It will help you stick to your new habit and the impact you want.
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