Habits to lose weight start with a goal. New resolutions season is upon us. Most popular among these: get in shape, exercise more, lose weight, reduce stress. These are classics and pillars of a healthy weight. Making a resolution is good as it orients us in the right direction. Recent research also confirms that writing down goals increases the chance of achieving them.
Process over outcomes
However, having a goal alone will still not get you there. The process, made of your habits, will. Also, too much focus on goals is not always fun. As long as the goal is not reached, a lack of success can be discouraging and once the goal is achieved, a sense of purpose can disappear.
System over goals
Focusing on the process, thinking in terms of system, changes that. When you do something regularly to move you in the right direction (for example eat healthy, exercise, meditate) you are applying your system. Each time you do that, you win, you are making progress and succeeding. Progress and success then contribute to motivation. Adding something to the done list on a regular basis also feels great. And what you do initially, the first steps you take, can be as small and easy as eating an apple, taking a short walk or a few deep breaths.
“We are what we repeatedly do”
Having a goal is not enough. Results come from actions, from behaviors we implement daily, and these habits form the system to reach goals. As Aristotle famously said “we are what we repeatedly do”.
Visualization
Once you have a resolution in mind, take a minute to reflect on what would change when you achieve it. What difference will it make to you? What will improve? How do you feel? Take a moment to bring to life how achieving the resolution feels.
Implementation intention
Finally, for this year’s resolutions, let us formulate them specifically, detailing action, time and location. For example, get in shape, exercise more, become: If it is Monday or Wednesday then I will hit the gym in downtown Geneva over lunch. Formulating “if then plans”, called implementation intentions, is shown to help weight loss and healthy eating. Such plans build associations between cues (in this case a time of day) and a behavior (working out). They make us aware of logistical issues (block calendar, prepare gym bag, plan lunch afterwards). They are commitments and commitments are knowingly hard to break.
Once formulated, share your resolutions with supportive friends. Use an accountability partner to further increase your odds of reaching your goals in 2020 and beyond. To help you lose weight check our e-book, New Habits for Weight Loss here or available on Gumroad here. At Habitlauncher.com, working on habits to lose weight, we help you build a system to reach your goals.