We are now well into autumn and along with pumpkin spiced lattes, the season brings us shorter days and dry, chilly and windy weather. This seasonal change can lead to common symptoms including a scratchy throat, chapped lips and dry cough.

 

I hope that your 2022 is off to a good start. Here we are, looking ahead and most likely with a list of goals or resolutions. I’ve always admired those who could stick to their new year resolutions. For the longest time, I was only able to go strong for a month or two before reverting to my old comfortable ways. And the resolutions would earnestly get tacked onto the following year’s list.
 

I’ve had more success ever since I changed my approach and mindset in this area. I’ve found that building good habits (centered around health, lifestyle and self-improvement) for the long term versus attempting to accomplish resolutions is more rewarding. If this interests you, here are some steps I followed that helped me immensely.
 

• Decide what habit you want to form. Understand your ‘why’ for building the chosen habit. Having a clear reason and one that is meaningful to you will keep you motivated.
   

• Allow 30 days to build the habit (sometimes longer and sometimes less). The habit may not be perfect at the end of this period, but it will take less effort thereafter.
   

• Set yourself up for success. That means setting mini-habits that are so small that it’s impossible to fail. Even the tiniest improvements can make an astounding difference over time.
   

• Mini-habits are all about incremental improvement and have a low level of commitment. For instance starting off with:
  * Focusing on your breath in silence for 2 minutes upon waking.
  * Walking just five minutes a day.
  * Waking up/getting to bed just 5 minutes earlier.
   

• Perform the habit at the same time everyday to make it easier to lock in over the long-run.
   

• Form one new habit at a time before expanding on it or tacking on a new one.
   

• Attach the new habit to a pre-established habit. For example, if you are trying to make journaling a habit: * Every morning, after brushing your teeth, grab your journal and write down three things you are grateful for.
   

• Set a block of time to work on your habit rather than focusing on the outcome you’re working toward. For instance, instead of reading 10 pages per day, consider reading for 10 minutes per day.
   

• Set your milestones and celebrate the small wins.
   

• Make the process enjoyable.

• The only DON'T on this list. Even though life may get in the way, do not skip two days in a row!

I’m still fine tuning this method for myself, but if you have one that has worked well for you, I’d love to learn more 🙂