Without strong habits, building momentum can feel impossible. It’s the little things we do each day that build who we become. Incremental change applied daily can compound into massive success. It’s not necessarily the most “sexy” way to achieve our goals, but it is certainly the most long-lasting and effective. 

If you’ve been having trouble establishing consistent habits, then try integrating some of the below strategies into your daily routine. 

Develop a tracking system

It’s hard to know how much you’ve accomplished and how much is still required without a solid tracking system. Tracking systems can take on many forms. This could look like using a nutrition app like MyFitnessPal or Noom. Or, it can look like a tangible calendar that allows you to check off or a place a sticker on each day you work out and eat mindfully. Find what style is easiest for you and implement it daily. Allow for rest days and be gentle on yourself, but never let too much time slip by without logging and tracking. 

Plan, plan, plan

Failure to plan is planning to fail. You must have a plan in place for reaching your goal. Easy ways to plan for success look like packing your gym clothes the night before, meal prepping each week or simply making sure there’s enough gas in your car before you begin the day. Even the smallest of things, like immediately washing all your Tupperware containers after each meal, can ensure smooth sailing the rest of the day. Be on the lookout for simple ways you can set up your future self for success. Plan, plan, plan! 

Consume positive content

Thanks to social media, we are constantly absorbing content from other people—whether we want to or not. We love the idea of doing regular “social media audits” to eliminate content that doesn’t serve us. Fill your feeds with inspiring people who are pushing the limits to improve themselves. Also, keep a steady stream of motivational podcasts and books close by. We love books like Atomic Habits by James Clear, Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins and Relentless by Tim Grover. 

Acknowledge “the suck,” but don’t stay there

Will it be hard? Yes. Will it be worth it? Yes. Keep this mantra in your mind for those days when you just don’t feel like going to the gym or doing the healthy things. Acknowledge the suck, but don’t stay there. A big myth among non-gym folks is that we just love working out. That is certainly not true. Very few of us jump out of bed eager to make the 5 am workout. We just power through it. Acknowledge “the suck,” but know the rewards are coming. If you keep putting in the work long enough, doing the hard things will become second nature. It’s a beautiful thing!