ONE STEP AT A TIME

Have your best intentions slipped already? Elaine lljon Foreman and Clair Pollard share some ways to create change that sticks

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How many of us have set out on a ‘health kick’ or ‘organisation drive’ where we try to completely change all of our behaviours at once? And is this approach ever successful? Very rarely. The reason that so many New Year’s resolutions go awry is probably that people try to change too much. It takes effort and time to change even a small habit — try changing too many things at once and the chances are you won’t succeed with any of them.

A single step at a time can also sometimes mean breaking a habit down into smaller parts and changing each of them, one by one. However you decide to do it, think it through and write a clear plan for yourself of when you will do what. It may be helpful to start small. For example, if you want to drink more water, start with one glass a day, at the same time each day. Keep this up for several days then add in one more, and so on. Don’t try drinking eight glasses a day from the start.

Be realistic

Don’t try to completely reinvent yourself — the chances are you are mostly fine as you are — you just need to tweak the things you are not happy with. If you aim for ‘good enough’ in your habits you have every chance of succeeding. Aim for ‘perfect’, and you are setting yourself up for failure. It may be realistic to give up cigarettes. It may not be realistic to also never eat another chocolate bar, drink three litres of water every day, go to the gym five times a week and never shout at anyone.

Be clear about what you are changing