We’ve all been there where you commit to working out more, you don’t miss workouts for a week but then you miss a workout and suddenly you're off track. You have a vision for where you want your career to go and get excited by the possibilities, only to get dragged down in everyday busyness and not return to working on your dream until weeks or months later.

"You have a vision for where you want to go, only to get dragged down in everyday busyness"

These small hiccups don’t make you a failure they make you human. Everyone slips up in their habits from time to time, even those who are the most successful. What separates those who succeed and those who are yet to isn’t their willpower or motivation, it’s their ability to bounce back and bounce back quickly.

With that said, here are 3 great strategies that can help you get back on track asap.

 

1. Schedule habits into your life

Make sure the habits you want to stick to are given a specific space in your life. Schedule them in. There are two main options for making this happen. Firstly, you can put whatever habit you are trying to stick to into your calendar. Want to exercise? Give yourself a time and place that it needs to happen. 8am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Find the time that’s easiest to stick to and commit to it. We’re all rooting for you. Alternatively, you can use a trigger that acts as a reminder to do a certain task.

Want to floss? Every day after brushing your teeth. Same order, same way, every time.

 

2. Make your schedule stick

It’s not the individual impact of missing your schedule that’s a big deal. It’s the cumulative impact of slipping up and never getting back on track. Don’t have time to do a full workout? Just squat.

 

3. Find someone who depends/expects something of you

Most of us have been part of some type of team. I personally have been on quite a few. When people are depending on you to show up, you’re not only letting yourself down if you don’t go, you are letting people you care about down too. You don’t need to be on a team to make this work. Talk to strangers and make friends at the gym. Alternatively, join a class that interests you in the field of your habit.

So show up.

Change can be difficult and even scary in the beginning. Sometimes you will feel like you take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. Anticipating these steps backward and formulating a plan to get back can make all the difference in the world. Good luck!

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