New habits are hard to form and even harder to keep. We see this every year with New Year’s resolutions. People have the best intentions, but can’t always follow through. That’s why entire books have been written on this topic! Everyone is looking for that special formula to make new habits last. But unfortunately, there is no magic bullet.
You can, however, set yourself up for success by using evidence-based strategies that work with your brain rather than against it. In this article, we’ll go through 5 simple, science-backed tips to help you stay consistent and make new habits stick. Whether your goal is to exercise more, eat healthier, or something else entirely, these tips will boost your chances of success.
Start as small as possible
Trying to make a huge change all at once often backfires. You’re much more likely to get discouraged and quit when a new habit feels too hard. Instead of setting an overly ambitious goal, like “run 3 miles a day” when you have no previous running experience, try something more achievable.
Focus on making your goal so small that it’s almost impossible to fail. For example, “take a 10-minute walk around the neighborhood every day.” Starting with small, achievable behaviors helps build momentum and makes it easier to build long-lasting habits.
Anchor the new habit to an existing one
Habits are much easier to keep when you pair them with another behavior that’s already automatic. For example, if you drink tea or coffee every morning, you can attach a new habit to that routine.
If you wanted to start reading more books, you could commit to reading one page of a new book, right after pouring your morning beverage. By linking the new habit to something you already do, it becomes easier to remember and repeat consistently.
Use if-then statements
Planning when you will do your new habit makes it easier to follow through. Decide ahead of time exactly when and what you will do. For example:
- If it is 7 a.m., then I will do my morning stretches.
- If I finish dinner, then I will write one paragraph in my journal.
By linking a specific cue to a small action, you don’t have to rely on motivation or willpower alone.
Shape your environment
Our surroundings strongly influence our behavior. We can set them up to make good habits easier to achieve and bad habits harder to keep. For example:
- Pack a gym bag the night before so that it’s easy to exercise in the morning.
- Don’t buy junk food, and get rid of any temptations already in the house.
- Keep a water bottle at your desk to remind yourself to stay hydrated.
Controlling your environment is one of the easiest ways to support good habits, and you only need to make minor adjustments to see an impact.
Monitor and celebrate progress
There will be days when you slip up, and that’s okay. Consistency is much more important than perfection. That’s why keeping track of your progress and celebrating your wins counts.
There are many ways you can track your progress, such as a habit tracker app, a journal, or a simple calendar to check off each day you complete your habit. Some ideas for celebrating your wins include:
- Treating yourself to a favorite coffee or snack after a full week of consistency.
- Buying yourself a small item you’ve been wanting after hitting a monthly milestone.
- Giving yourself a mental “well done” for daily wins, or sharing your progress with a friend or accountability partner.
Recognizing effort, not just results, reinforces the habit loop and helps you stay motivated.
