Now that we are almost a week into 2016, lots of folks have most likely already abandoned some or all of their intended new year’s resolutions. So, we have a better idea. Instead of focusing only on the long-term and permanent changes, break down your new changes into smaller and more manageable chunks. If unhealthy lifestyle choices tempt you, vow to yourself to resist them for the next three minutes. Once the three minutes have successfully passed without giving into temptation, congratulate yourself! Then move on to the next three minutes, focusing on your commitment to improved health and a more rewarding life.
Likewise, healthy diets require a period of adjustment, and looking too far into the future and imagining only hunger and suffering will quickly sap your courage. Try a healthy diet for three days, sticking firm to your commitment to see what effect eating better foods has on both your waistline and your mental and emotional well-being. Three days will pass by before you know it, and then you can look forward and decide the next course of action.
Experts say that new habits take about three weeks to adopt. Whether you’ve decided to quit smoking, or become more active at the gym, stick with your new commitment for three weeks. At first, these new changes will be uncomfortable and take a toil on your happiness, but before you know it, they will become ingrained patterns in your daily life. Congratulate yourself on passing a major milestone when you’ve stayed on course for three weeks, and then evaluate what worked and what didn’t.
By stacking good habits on top of good habits, and new lifestyle choices in 3-minute, 3-day, and 3-week intervals, pretty soon your new year will start to transform you into a new, and hopefully much happier and healthier, person.