Creating good habits

People spend years creating habits in their lives. At a drop of a hat they think they can change these habits. Marketing companies prey on these individuals by making them think there is a quick fix to whatever problem they have. Take this supplement, eat this food and your life will change in just two weeks. As a society we buy right into this approach. The truth of the matter is, it takes a well- designed plan to create a new habit or break an old habit.

When people try to change too many habits all at once it's a recipe for disaster.
Too much change is overwhelming and can add more stress to your life. It goes without saying that stress can set you into a tailspin. So, what’s the answer to creating a habit? Change one thing at a time until you have mastered it.

Choose a short-term goal: This goal should be attainable on a daily basis. You should practice this habit daily and perfect it by week three. Do not create a new habit until you perfect the previous one. An example would be to introduce a protein to each meal.

Choose something measurable. Choose something you can measure on a daily basis. This should take no more than a few minutes to measure. You have enough going on with your new habit; don’t complicate it. An example would be to measure your protein intake for the day.

Choose a long-term goal: This goal should be attainable in 4 - 6 months. You should map out the habits you need to create or change to get to that long-term goal. An example is to create a healthy nutrition plan.

Week 1 -3 : Drink 8 – 10 bottles of water every day
Week 4 – 6: Introduce protein to every meal
Week 7 – 9: Introduce vegetables to every meal
Week 10 – 12: Introduce fruit to every meal
Week 13 – 15: Introduce healthy fats to most meals
Week 16 – 18: Introduce quality carbs to every meal

Create a journal: This creates a road map for success on a daily basis and you can review your map to stay on course. If there is a bump in the road, and there will be, you will have a map to get back on track. Try to keep to a routine or schedule as much as possible. Remember we’re human, we like routines and hate change.

Be Realistic: Rome wasn’t built in a day, so start with a strong foundation. As we perfect and create new habits we will strengthen our foundation. Remember if there are stress cracks or weaknesses in your foundation, you will crumble. You want to build a foundation that can withstand the toughest storms.
Create habits that you can maintain for the rest of your life. Every person is different. So as long is you feel comfortable in your skin, you’re successful. The main objective of setting goals and changing habits should be to enjoy and live a healthy and happy life. This approach can be used not only in monitoring nutrition, but also in exercise, sports and academics.

Stay Healthy and Safe,

Team APT