Living a healthy lifestyle requires healthy habits.  Why? Because habits are what create the lifestyle.  Sounds like a simple concept right? So then, why is it so hard be consistent with new healthy habits?

No doubt about it, making a healthy lifestyle change can be challenging.

You are pushing yourself outside of your normal comfort zone to create a new habit and a new routine.  Our brains thrive on consistency, so in order to make this transition run smoothly, it’s important to create consistency with your desired new healthy habits.

When you are creating a healthy lifestyle, what you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.

Do you consider yourself a healthy eater just because you have a Meatless Monday?  What are you eating the on the other 6 days of the week?

Are you a regular exerciser if you go to the gym twice a month? Not if you spend the rest of the month the couch watching Netflix.

The truth about what it takes to see the benefits of healthy lifestyle is that you have to create and maintain a LIFESTYLE.

You can’t expect your body to be fueled with the nutrients you need just by eating a healthy meal once a week or even just once a day.

You aren’t going to get the heart health benefits or lasting mood boosting effects from just going on a walk once a week, then sitting on the couch or at your desk for the rest of the week.

In order to truly reap the rewards of living a healthy lifestyle, you are going to have to create consistent action that supports your healthy living goals.

Now, I know this can sound intimidating, but read on and you will see that it’s not as hard as it sounds.

When healthy living is one of your top values in life, it makes it much easier to prioritize your time to consistently support your goals.

You will see that the more consistency you create with your healthy habits, the easier it is going to become to make your healthy living routine automatic.

In order to help you thrive in your new healthy lifestyle, I’m going to share with you three secrets to creating consistency in your habits.

3 Ways to Create Habit Consistency

1. Make it easy to go right, and hard to go wrong

You are a product of your environment.   When you want to make a change to your habits, make a change to your environment in order to set yourself up for success.

For example, if you want to start eating healthier foods, make it easy to go right by having those foods are stocked in your refrigerator and pantry.  Make it hard to go wrong by getting rid of the unhealthy foods.  Donate unused foods to your local food pantry.

When you don’t have junk food in your house, you are much less likely to eat that kind of food.

Scan your environment for anything that doesn’t support your new healthy habits.  If you want to reduce screen time, take the TV out of your bedroom.  Do an audit of the apps on your phone and delete those that don’t support your desired future self.

2. You manage what you monitor

You are much more likely to complete your desired healthy habits when you track them.   Write down 1-3 monthly goals you have and track your consistency with each one.  It can be extra motivating when you see a streak of 5 days, then 10 days, then 20 days develop.

Bonus tip: Block time on your schedule for your healthy living goals.  I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly checking my calendar to see what’s going on every day and every week.  Schedule healthy living just like you would schedule an appointment.  Not only is it more likely to get done when it’s built into your daily schedule, but it also demonstrates that healthy living is of high value to you, which boosts the motivation factor to stay consistent with your habits as well.

Schedule time on your calendar for exercise, write down your meal plan for the week, keep a daily gratitude journal.  There is something very powerful about writing down what you want to accomplish and then being intentional about sticking to it to accomplish your goals.

3. Focus on actions, not outcomes

Action specific goals are more likely to help you succeed with your long term healthy lifestyle goals than outcome focused goals.  When you focus on the outcome, you can get hung up on setbacks or thinking you aren’t making progress fast enough.  Think about the specific daily actions you want to take in order to create the healthy lifestyle you desire.  By accomplishing each of these daily actions consistently, you are going to create consistent progress toward your long term goals.

Example: If your outcome goal is to lose 10 lbs this month, your ACTION specific goals might be –

• No buying candy at the grocery store
• Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• walk 20 minutes daily

Things Often Get Harder Before They Get Easier

Making a change in your daily routine is going to be uncomfortable at times.  The truth is that things often get harder before they get easier.  But, the key aspect to remember is that they do get easier.

Remember, you brain thrives on consistency.  You are creating NEW consistency when you are creating new healthy habits.

It may be hard to resist throwing the bag of jelly beans to your cart at the grocery store, but you will adjust to adding the bag of apples instead which gives you a sweet snack and supports your immune system.

It may be hard to get out of bed 30 minutes earlier in the morning, but you will adjust to looking forward to your morning walk and the energy boost it gives you for your morning productivity.

Remind yourself of WHY you value healthy living, and WHY you decided to make a change for a healthier lifestyle in the first place.   This will be a great motivational reset when you are feeling the pangs of discomfort that come along with changing your routine.

The best news is that the more you do something, the easier it gets.

The rewards of living a healthy lifestyle are well worth the temporary discomfort you may experience when creating this life for yourself.

Keep going!  You’ve got this!

 

If anything you read in this article resonated with you and you are ready to go deeper, I want to invite you to schedule a FREE 20-minute Discovery Call with me.  On this call, we will look at what you are doing now, what’s working and what’s not working, and recommendations for next steps.  

You may have had trouble making changes in the past, and I want to show you that this time can be different – especially if you have someone to encourage you, support you, and show you what to do step-by-step.  I don’t want anything to get in your way.  Schedule your FREE 20-minute Discovery Call today!