With September just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start the new school year with some good habits . In our often busy work lives, incorporating good habits can seem like a challenge. However, these changes are essential to improving our physical and mental well-being, as well as our productivity and energy. The key is setting clear and achievable goals, as well as a change in mindset.
By clarifying our vision and adopting a positive mindset, we create the conditions for a good start to this new school year. This will allow you to establish a solid foundation for implementing new good habits in a sustainable way in order to truly influence your results and our professional and personal development .
There are two types of goals we can set to create change. There are what we might call “habit goals” and “achievement goals.” Accomplishment goals lead to a specific achievement, such as losing weight or completing a half marathon.
Habit goals, on the other hand, create new behaviors, such as walking every day or eating a certain portion of vegetables each day. It’s about adopting a new habit over the long term, not about accomplishing a certain result over a certain period of time.
The benefits of habit goals are numerous. They automate desired behaviors and therefore require less energy because fewer decisions have to be made . Once the behavior is transformed into a habit, it no longer requires you to use your willpower every time. They can consist of small actions that produce exponential results. They become part of our day and can have a positive effect on other areas of your life.
When it comes to health, don’t limit yourself to your physical well-being. Your well-being includes your physical health and your mental health. What makes you feel good? What activities, hobbies, or relationships nourish your spirit?
If you are not feeling well in your body, starting by changing your eating habits is a good start. This will have an impact on the inflammation in your body. Sleep habits, meditation, exercise are also important.
Give yourself some leeway and be honest with yourself when assessing your progress. Could you have done more than the minimum this week? Recommit to your goal (not the minimum) each week.
Adopting and maintaining a positive mindset is essential to being able to integrate healthy habits into your daily life.
Here are some tips to help you maintain that mindset that gives you the determination to take action.
Worthwhile goals will be challenging. To sustain your efforts over the long term, you need a strong motivation , a kind of “why.” Why do you want to do this
Goal setting is all about transformation. The type of person you want to become and what you value most in life are key questions to guide your motivation.
So, if you want to exercise more and make it a part of your routine, start identifying yourself as an athletic person. If you want to lose weight and eat better, start identifying yourself as a healthy person who pays attention to their diet. Use the words “I am…” carefully. The words you use to complete this sentence have an impact on your self-image and self-esteem. Choose qualifiers that support your habit goal. Who do you want to become through this new habit?
What will be the consequences for your health if you don’t reach your physical activity or sugar reduction goal? Fear of these consequences can be a strong motivator.
If you ask 100 people why they haven’t achieved their goals, 90 of them will probably tell you it’s because they’re too busy. Goals tend to get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. That’s why you need a way to connect your annual goals to daily action.
We want you to move toward your goals almost every day, putting them on your calendar like they’re the most important appointment you’ve ever had. Because they are! They’re an appointment with yourself, and you’re the most important person in your life because you’re truly the only person you’ll be with every minute and every second of your existence.
Planning ahead is essential to better manage your schedule. If you make decisions on the spur of the moment, your brain will tend to favor the option that avoids pain, provides pleasure, and is the most efficient. It is our primitive, survival-oriented brain that tends to take over when we decide on the spur of the moment. That is why you want to decide in advance and use the most evolved part of your brain to plan your day and use your time more wisely and efficiently.
So, every night, before you turn off your computer, plan your next day, prioritizing your new habit goals.When the time comes, your brain will be tempted to present you with all sorts of objections, urging you to give up your workout, stay in your chair, and continue what you’re doing rather than stepping out of your comfort zone to accomplish what you set out to do.