If you’re tired of giving up on your New Year’s resolutions, or even the mid-year resolutions, it’s time to adjust your environment and your mindset so you can see success. This is not about making your goals easier; it’s about making small changes in our everyday lives that will make the process of reaching our goals easier.
1. Make the good stuff easier to reach.
For instance, if you want to lose a certain amount of weight or start a body building regimen, set yourself up for success by keeping bottled water and fresh produce readily available. Trade your electronics time for a yoga mat or some running shoes. If driving to the gym is your excuse, sign up at a gym that’s closer to your house. If you need a personal trainer or flexible class schedules, find a gym nearby with these features.
2. Make the bad stuff harder to get to.
Avoid purchasing junk food or other foods and drinks that sabotage your healthy eating plans. Drive another route home from work to avoid stopping for cigarettes or alcohol. Unplug or lock up extra electronics that pose a temptation during the week. Whatever your temptation or bad habit may be, as they spend more time out of sight, eventually they’ll stay out of mind.
3. Break bad habits by putting up obstacles.
Can you think of any bad habits that actually help you reach your goals? Me neither, so that makes it more important to rid yourself of these habits. Use web browser blockers during work hours so you have no choice but to focus on work instead of playing games or aimlessly scrolling social media. Put your alarm in the bathroom instead of by your bed so you can’t hit snooze (this is especially helpful if your spouse or kids will hear it go off.
4. Changing your identity can make it easier to change your habits.
What type of person do you want to be? What kind of lifestyle does that person live? Answering questions about the person you WANT to become will lead to copying the habits that similar people use in their lives. Healthy people eat healthy, whole foods whereas unhealthy people eat packaged foods and drinks. Powerful CEOs will spend more time growing their company than they will complaining or playing video games. Also refer to yourself as being successful instead of trying to be successful. Tell people, “I am a non-smoker” rather than “I’m trying to quit.”
5. Associating with like-minded people will influence who you become.
Once you identify who you want to be, join groups with similar people who can be good influences. If you’re surrounded by people who want to procrastinate and gossip instead of doing work, then chances are high you’ll goof off, too, without getting any work finished. Whereas joining a mastermind group with other highly-driven entrepreneurs is where you’ll find inspiration to reach your goals and probably some new strategies, too.
You can’t just flip a switch to change your mindset overnight. Chances are these beliefs about yourself were constructed back when you were a kid, so changing them will take some time and practice. Just remember that change IS possible, nothing is written in stone, and YOU are the only one capable of making changes to better your life.