Author: Dr. Megan Oliverio

With the start of a new year, January is rife with resolutions and the hope of new beginnings. Gyms are filled with new people, grocery store carts are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, and the hashtag #newyearnewyou is almost certainly trending. Initially, the excitement of change tends to be motivation enough to follow through on our efforts. However, it seems that far too quickly this wears off and we’re left feeling disappointed and right back where we started.

Our habits and routines, for better or worse, become part of who we are. Whether you are trying to quit smoking, change the way you care for your body, or start saving more money, modifying our current habits to reflect the change we desire is really difficult to do! While we are surrounded by headlines of promises for a quick fix, unfortunately, cultivating meaningful change often reflects the age old phrase—slow and steady wins the race.

Below are 5 important things to keep in mind as you start your journey toward meaningful change:

1. Make it Meaningful

Make sure you have a desire to create the change in your life. Personal interest and meaning provide a sense of purpose and energy that helps prevent burnout and promotes resiliency. For example, is your goal to lose weight based on the opinions of others, or on your own desire to improve your overall health? When change is associated with meaning, it signifies importance and provides a foundation for the challenge that lies ahead. Ask yourself questions like: Why do I want to make this change? What would this change mean to my life?

2. Start Small 

Energy is a limited resource! Remember that your willpower and self-discipline are not an endless supply and if you spread it too thin among different goals and objectives, you may end up doing nothing. The key here is to prioritize one (or maybe two) new habit at a time, and persist until they become second nature. Once one habit is integrated into your routine you’ll be ready to add another.

3. Build on Success 

To bring about lasting change it’s important to focus on success. Surround yourself with others who have had success in the change you desire, or seek out stories of those who have found success. This allows you to learn from their challenges and apply their success to your life. It is also important to acknowledge and praise yourself for small successes along the way to meeting your larger goal. Celebrating yourself and your achievements can help remind you of your purpose and the meaning of your journey toward change.

4. Seek Support

We all need help! Support can help provide accountability, motivation, and even enthusiasm when we need it most. Support can come from a friend or family member who is trying to evoke the same change, and you can lean into each other while on your individual journeys. You can also use technology to support your habits by setting daily alarms or reminders, or using a variety of apps that help you track and reward yourself.

5. Practice Acceptance

No journey is linear. The process of change will inevitably see successes and failures. Acceptance of our challenges, our shortcomings, and our reality is a crucial aspect of our ability to change. Going back to old habits does not have to signify the end of change, it can simply be a bump in the road from which we can learn. Accepting that some failure is inevitable will help you to examine your experience with an eye toward what can help in the future. This is the time to lean in and get curious about your struggles and reorient yourself to meaning and support. Accept where you are, accept your failures, and accept that your process is unique.