Yesterday was the third Monday in January, also known as Blue Monday. It is named as such because by this time in winter, we’ve grown tired of the shorter days, lack of sunshine, the cold, and of course, the snow. So not only are we craving a walk on a sunny beach, but for most, the good intentions and resolutions set just a few short weeks ago, have already fallen by the wayside.

So as I lay cocooned in a Comfy on the couch on Blue Monday, it got me thinking… those goals and intentions we set? How do we make them stick? How do we make them last? How do we keep on keeping on?

I’ve been doing a little reading and… I think the answer is in our habits and not in the goals themselves. Building better habits each day might just be the most important ingredient when looking to achieve a goal, live an intention or stick to a resolution.

There are endless articles on how to make habits stick, so I went down the rabbit hole. I am always looking for the simple and doable because that’s what motivates me and makes me a believer. It’s also what I have vowed to only share with you on my blog.

Let’s get to it! Here is my curated list of tips that most experts agree can help us to finally make good habits stick!

Never underestimate the power of the little stuff! Practicing small habits daily let’s you create momentum and build on your progress.

For example, if you want to improve your fitness by running, start by walking 3 to 4 times per week, varying distances and paces. I would recommend a minimum of 20 minutes per walk. Perhaps you will do this for one month. When it feels reasonably effortless, start by mixing your walking with running. There are great apps that take all the thinking out of it. I like the C25K App. Just press play and do what the lady says! You can set the time frame within which you’d like to reach your running goal, whether it be distance or time. My friends and I have run/walked a bunch of half marathons in our time and it was a great model for us!

Perhaps you enjoy writing. Commit to a habit of writing for 5 minutes each day. Naturally, the 5 minutes will turn into 15 minutes, perhaps 30 minutes or even an hour. Doing it everyday, even if only for a very small amount of time, is what solidifies the habit.

If you’d like to get your kids to bed earlier because you’ve lost all control of bedtime, back bedtime up by 5 minutes for a few nights, then 5 minutes more, then another 5 minutes. You get the idea. Rather than go through the chaos of trying to instill a big change all at once, keep things small and maybe they won’t even notice. 🙂

If you find your goal daunting, break it down. Ask yourself, what is the first baby step I need to take here?, and then use that to create your habit.

Understanding why you want to reach a goal ties some emotion and feeling to it and makes it personal. It reminds you that you and your goals matter.

If you are invested in your goals, practicing the habits that will get you there will be more meaningful for you.

Figure out what your barriers are and try to brainstorm a solution. Can you sneak in a walk at work? Do you just need some warmer outdoor clothing? Can you find a friend to walk with you so that you don’t feel self-conscious? It may not be easy (especially when your kids are small and you have such little free time) but minimizing what gets in the way can always help.

In addition, tracking your progress makes you accountable. It makes you answer the question, “So, did you do it?”

I could spend some time here writing about that (somewhat mythical) number of 21 – the idea out there that it takes 21 days to form a habit. But, we all want good habits to last so really, who cares how long it takes? You don’t want to throw in the towel on day 22 because you don’t skip out the front door for your walk that day.

Everyone has bad stages, whether it be a day, a week, a month, or maybe even a year. In fact, I’m sure that 2021 was one of my least productive years ever, but I vowed to not let 2022 just happen to me. This is my first blog post of 2022 so the topic is meaningful for me. I need my own advice. 🙂

I know from experience that this is what helped me run half-marathons after swearing to a friend that I would never want to run for more than 5km in my life! Having a group of my close friends waiting for me on the road kept me heading out the door at 8:30pm on a work night, or getting up early for a long run on Saturday morning. I never would have practiced those habits and reached those goals without them. Never. Not only that, I’ll always look back on those miles as some of my favourite times spent.

Tip #7 – Celebrate small successes.

Just like some people like surprise parties and others don’t, how you like to celebrate your small successes will be personal to you. Announce to everyone that you just walked 3 to 4 days a week for a whole month and enjoy the cheers! Or just give yourself a quiet high five and move on. Do what feels natural and makes you smile. Be proud of yourself!

Summary

Tip #1 – Pick small habits and don’t focus on too many at once.

Tip #2 – Know why these habits matter to you.

Tip #3 – Know what will get in the way.

Tip #4 – Create a plan and track your progress.

Tip #5 – Don’t give up. Stick with it.

Tip #6 – Find people who support you.

Tip #7 – Celebrate small successes.

It’s so easy to put your kids, or your work, or cleaning the house, first when you’re a busy mom and the hours seem few. If this is your life right now, pick one small habit full of goodness and give it a go! For 2022, my habit is going to be writing. And, I just did it. Thanks for reading! 🙂