New Year, New You 2021 By 3T's Boutique

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Those resolutions you rang in the new year with are already showing up in the rear-view mirror. How can you make sure that they last? The secret is to create new habits.

A new behavior doesn’t become automatic overnight, but you can enjoy some of its benefits quickly. For instance, as you start to take walks regularly, you'll find that you won't feel quite right if you stop. That's a great incentive to continue. So, keep nudging yourself in the direction you'd like to go and try the following tips to help you create long-lasting change.

Don’t try to change fifty things at once. The more things you try to change in a short time frame, the less likely you are to change anything over the long term. Choose no more than your top two things. You can add others later after you tackle the top two.
Break down big goals into smaller steps. Small steps move you forward to your goal. Just getting to first base can build your confidence to tackle more difficult tasks. If your goal is to exercise more, start with parking farther away in the parking lot every day. Next add a daily walk of 10 minutes. Then add a twice a week workout with a friend. You get the idea. Each step builds your confidence and motivates you to keep going.
Create an accountability system. Once the excitement, the motivation and the initial momentum subside, what will keep you doing what you need to do? Commit yourself. Make yourself accountable through a written or verbal promise to people you don't want to let down. That will encourage you to plow through tough times. You can make a private promise to a friend, a family member, or a teacher. Want more support? Post your promise on Facebook, tweet it to your followers, or seek out folks with like-minded goals online.
Work in four-week blocks. The four-week time frame is long enough to produce significant practical change but also short enough for us to stay focused, motivated and in the game emotionally. A series of twenty-eight-day game plans seems to work for most people.
Give thanks for what you do. Forget perfection. Set your sights on finishing that marathon, not on running it. If you compete to complete, you'll be a winner even if you wind up walking more than you run. With exercise, you'll benefit even when doing less than you'd like to do. Any activity is always better than none.
Give yourself a medal. Don't wait to call yourself a winner until you've pounded through the last mile of your big dream marathon or lost every unwanted ounce. Change is incremental. Encourage yourself to keep at it by pausing to acknowledge your success as you tick off small and big steps. Blast your favorite tune each time you reach 5,000 steps. Treat yourself to a new pair of earrings or a healthy smoothie.