It’s a bright Monday morning; last evening, you listed out the tasks, challenges, or changes you want to make, and this morning, you are ready to embark on this new journey. You get up, all motivated, ready to take on the world! When you tick everything off your list before you end your day, you sleep peacefully with a smile.
The next day, you get up a little lazy but want to get through the change you decided for yourself. You don’t feel the same adrenaline rush you felt yesterday, but you make it happen half-heartedly. The next day, it’s only worsening; the energy is dwindling. By the end of the week, you hardly tick off anything from your list, and by the weekend, you are binge-watching your favorite shows on repeat.
If this sounds familiar, welcome to how 90 percent of people try to change their routine or add a new habit. This little spiral of trying and giving up is familiar to most people. But more often than not, people don’t give up and give it another try because deep down, they want that change, want that habit. So, how can this behavior change? How can one bring about a change and continue on the path?
Let me tell you that it is not impossible—perhaps difficult. The trick is to ensure that the new change becomes a lifestyle and not something that requires effort. This step takes patience and diligence, but once you get the taste of the adrenaline rush, trust me, there is no looking back. Here, I will explain simple steps that can help you achieve what you set out for and do it so that you can maintain it.
Ask the WHY: This is the most important question before you try to bring about a change or adapt a new habit. The WHY will steer your boat to success; the stronger the WHY, the more likely you are to invest your time and energy. It does not have to be complicated; it could be a simple WHY: “I want to fit into the dress,” so exercise or healthy eating is the goal. The why would be your goal, which could keep you focused.
Start It Slow: Do not overwhelm yourself with tasks and lists; start it simple. Take baby steps, if possible, smaller than that. Don’t be in a hurry; studies have shown that if you start by trying to make big changes, you exert yourself, and it’s easy to give up. Overwhelming yourself early in the journey sets you up for failure. If you plan to lose weight, don’t invest 2 hours every day for exercise; start it slow with about 15 minutes, and gradually increase it over time.
No Big Commitments: Do not make big commitments, especially over a short period. Set small, achievable goals and then gradually increase them. Huge commitments and overestimating your potential are other steps toward failure. Be practical with your commitments; remember, this is not your only task; you have a life outside of this. You have work, family, and leisure; this needs to fit. If you plan to lose weight, do not do it in a month. Give yourself time and bandwidth to do it comfortably and consistently.
Plan it to the DOT: I cannot emphasize this enough: plan the steps required to achieve what you sought. I always prefer and recommend writing and listing it out; this helps. Having a tangible piece of the tasks is such a help. Once you write something down, it stays in your subconscious mind. Also, you have a list to fall back on to check in and review. This also helps to break down the tasks into easily achievable steps. But writing it down just gives a good direction. Write what you would do today to lose that weight.
Marking Progress: Only planning and doing it is not enough; you must go back to see your progress. Checking in and reviewing, perhaps weekly, is a fantastic way to pat yourself on the back for all the progress or to know where you faltered and improve. It just gives you a template to know your strengths and weaknesses. And it is very important because sometimes, during these reviews, you realize whether you want what you started with. It happens when you realize that perhaps you don’t need or require what you set out to achieve.
Reward Yourself: Celebrate your small wins every time you complete your goals; treat yourself. This is a fantastic morale booster and motivator. When you reward yourself, you look forward to completing your goals next time. Small wins and their celebration go a long way, so do it at every opportunity.
Keeping Faith: It’s easy to lose faith in yourself during the change process because sometimes the results take time to show. It is human to feel demotivated and give up. This is when you must be mentally prepared to keep going and give yourself another push. This is the real test, as faith is a strong emotion—faith in yourself, the process, and the power of the universe if you believe in that. This emotion is what will make or break your change process.
Be Ready to fall and get up again: The transformation process is not a foolproof plan. It’s a whole project with multiple steps that need persistence and work. And you cannot shy away from failures, as they are bound to happen. You cannot avoid failures but rise and start again after every failure. This should be non-negotiable.
It’s important to Honor your Challenge; these are small steps that can bring about a big transformation. Read the list, try following, and add comments if anything else helped you in your journey.
Good Luck!