How To Create A Solid Routine – And Stick To It
There is so much power in a great, solid routine. But starting it, and sticking to it isn’t always easy.
We’re well and truly past the half-year mark, and those new years resolutions may seem like a distant memory. But they don’t have to be, and you don’t need to create new habits in January only or start on Monday for that matter – you can start right now, with a few small steps.
Perhaps you know what healthy habits you want to instil, but getting them to stick is the real issue. Some weeks you may have reached all your goals, and other weeks, you hit a roadblock. The good news is that it’s normal to do so – it only makes you human.
If you really want to make your new routine a part of your lifestyle and achieve your personal goals, here are a few tips to tell you to get there.
Start small
It’s not natural to completely overhaul your lifestyle and routine to adopt a new one overnight. In fact, such extremity will set you up for failure.
A great place to start is to look at your current positive habits and build on them. In doing so, you can give energy to the habits that are already working for you, which will be much easier to stick to, and most likely end in great success.
After looking at your current positive habits, write down your big goal. Now, break it down into smaller goals that are realistic and achievable. Research shows that big goals are much more achievable when they are broken up into smaller sub-goals.
Create your plan
Sticking to new habits and routines means reminding yourself often. A good way to keep on track is to lay out a plan, week by week. You could create appointments in your calendar, write them out in a checklist, or even stick a calendar on your fridge. Make sure you place it somewhere where you are reminded often, or else it’s all too easy to forget about and fall back into old habits.
Being prepared with a plan is important, but so is prepping for the activity. How can you better prepare to ensure success? Perhaps, preparing your exercise clothes in the morning will better prepare you to easily get dressed the next day, without delay.
Time is your best friend
Being consistent with a set time for every habit will be your biggest tool for reaching your goals. Humans really are creatures of habit, and attempting to stick to the same time each day will make it much easier to hit your goals every day.
Try to consider what the best use of your time is. For example, if you’re an early riser, could you complete your exercise first thing in the morning? Or if your goal is to read 10 pages of a book, a day – could this be done during your lunchtime?
Expect to slip up
Forming new habits is tough business, and let’s be honest, we can often be a bit ambitious when it comes to goal setting. But, if you don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and account for a few slip-ups, here and there, you’ll be back on track in no time. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach – remember, small steps are better than no steps at all. Consider this your permission to a few free passes.
With that being said, don’t forget to give yourself some time to adjust to your new routine. Habits don’t form overnight. In fact, research proves it takes approximately more than 2 months before a new behaviour becomes automatic.
Also, don’t be afraid to change course. If something really isn’t working for you, consider adjusting the time in which you do it, or lessening or increasing the frequency of it. The beauty of a new routine is that it’s all yours – and you can create it just how you like.
Make it exciting
One thing is for sure is that if your new habit doesn’t interest you, it’s going to be a lot harder to stick to. Find a way to make your habit exciting and fun. For example, could you do the activity with someone else? Perhaps you could create an epic playlist that makes the task so much more enjoyable, listening to your favourite tracks.
Don’t forget to track your progress
How will you know how well you’re doing if you’re not actively tracking your progress? For example, if you opted for the checklist plan, easily tick off the goals you did for the day so that you can see how well you did that day. If there isn’t some type of list or calendar to “mark off”, chances are you’ll forget about it.
Make time for spontaneity
Life is for living. All too often when setting out new goals, we can be overly ambitious with our time, leaving little room for life in-between. Not only that, but often, life can throw curveballs our way when we least expect it – and when it does, a new routine is the last thing we need to think about. Hopefully, you’ve set out small goals, so that when life does need your attention, the small goal in your routine is more than manageable.
The point is that your new routine should be easy to manage so that there’s time for life, friends and family too.
Supplements to assist you in creating great habits for life!
At the end of the day, routines are good for us. Not only do they help us reach our goals, but they also improve our mental health, and give life more joy. When you create good habits, you can break bad ones, and create a happier, more productive life for yourself.
Lastly, taking the right supplements can help you reach your new routine goals. Multivitamins keep your body strong and give you the energy boost you need to make it a routine, so there's no reason to pause your goals. Studies show that a superior multivitamin blend can raise nutrient levels in your bloodstream and improve your body’s function and health within six weeks.
Want to feel less bloated, more energetic, and healthier overall? A great probiotic can provide digestive support and improve nutrient absorption from food — so your healthy eating habits don't go to waste!
You can shop a range of the very best supplements to support your new healthy routine, or read more health and wellness-related articles on our blog.
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Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
