Do you know the #1 difference between goals that are met and those that are unmet?
I spent so many years of my life being taught about “SMART” goals, and all the right ways to hit goals. Yet, year after year I was missing the same ones over and over again.
Like many things in life, it’s so very simple, but not always easy.
Attach it to a daily habit.
“The fastest way to success is to replace a bad habit with a good habit.” – Tom Ziglar
The goals that are the most likely to be achieved in your life are the ones you have attached to a habit you are committed to each day.
It sounds so easy, and yet, we all have a story of when we have struggled to stick with a habit we wanted to form.
Here are a couple tips to help ensure your habits will stick. BJ Fogg wrote about these tips and the studies behind them in his book Tiny Habits. I have found each of these principles to be true in my own life.
Tackle one at a time.
Go all in on one habit change for as long as it takes to stick before picking up the next one. Sometimes this can be done in a couple days. Sometimes this may take months.
It is easier to commit to one habit change each month, and successfully complete 12 by the end of the year, than try to tackle 12 new things in January.
Make it as small as possible
Instead of tackling something large like “exercise every day at 6am,” try breaking it down into smaller steps. For example, “I will sleep in workout clothes and replace my slippers next to my bed with tennis shoes so that as soon as I wake up, I’m dressed.”
(By the way, I definitely love sleeping in pajamas and wearing my comfiest pajamas to bed. My tiny habit is that when I change clothes to drop the kids off at school, I dress in workout clothes and tennis shoes so it’s that much easier to stop at the park next to their school each morning.)
Keep it positive
You are highly unlikely to stick with a habit that you don’t enjoy. This is why 30 day programs and anything you commit to for a short stint is unlikely to become a life change. If you feel like you are “suffering through it,” your eyes will regularly be on the finish line, focused on when you can quit.
Instead, find ways to enjoy your habit so your brain associates happy feelings with the task.
I love my morning walk because it genuinely brings me joy and peace. I also remind myself I am doing it because it helps my brain work more efficiently and think clearer. I show up to the track so that I can be more effective the rest of the day.
I also love the way yoga makes my body feel, so I’m much more likely to show up to my mat when I say I will because it feels like a reward to myself.
However, fast paced workouts and H.I.I.T stress me out. Even if I know they help me get in shape and get stronger, I don’t find pleasure when I’m doing them. Therefore, I’m more likely to avoid the habit.
Don’t should on yourself.
If you are setting this habit goal because it’s something you “should” be doing, but not something you genuinely want to do, it will not stick. Commit to habits you want and know why you want them.
I’m so excited for you guys to create the lives you want to be living in 2022. I look forward to helping and being a part of your journey.
Keep it simple folks. Success is found in the mundane of the daily routine.
With Gratitude,
Sophia Hyde
If you are ready to make yourself a priority in your own life and start putting yourself on your own to-do list, let’s chat. Here are the two ways to get started on creating the life you crave to be living:
1. Book a strategy call with Sophia to discuss your particular situation and see if coaching can benefit you. Sessions are extremely flexible and only 20 minutes twice a month to get results.
2. Become a member of Release Your Favorite Self for $29 a month to get access to the online course.