For the past few weeks I’ve been blogging about how to make changes that stick. If you missed the past two blogs I would suggest giving them a quick look over first: The Baby Step Method to Changing Your Habits, and Why it’s Good to Get Disturbed. And if you have been following along, believe it or not, I actually have more to say on this subject.

Whenever you are trying to establish a new habit or get rid of an old one, it’s important to set yourself up for success. What do I mean by this? Well for one it needs to be doable. Make sure that your goal is actually something that you can realistically attain. For example if you have a bad knee planning to run a marathon might not be the best decision ( unless you are seeing me for weekly acupuncture treatments that is). Running a marathon may not be physically possible at this time. Or if you are planning on doing a detox it would be best to not plan it during major holidays and celebrations like birthdays and Christmas. Trying to detox during special occasions is not impossible, but much more difficult to do and stick to. Now while changing your habits is not necessarily easy, you want to make it at least reasonable and attainable. So the first step to setting yourself up for success is to make changes that are doable.

The second part is to get yourself the support and resources that you need to make this change. If you want to start exercising every day there are lots of additional resources and support systems that you can put in place. Like getting a gym membership, or investing in a series of workout dvd’s that you can do at home. Maybe it means finding a friend to take yoga classes with, or even hiring a personal trainer at the gym. It can can even be as simple as downloading some really good music to workout to, or buying some new workout clothes and sneakers. If you want to start eating healthier maybe investing in a juicer or vita mix would be helpful. And if you are trying to quit a habit, start thinking of people or resources that can be a support system for you during this time. For instance if you want to quit smoking I would highly suggest enlisting the help of an acupuncturist. There are specific acupuncture protocols to help ease cravings from addictions and rebalance your nervous system. If you are working on breaking your procrastination habit I would highly recommend working with a life coach who can help motivate you and keep you accountable. Think of the change that you are trying to make and brainstorm all the different resources and people that can help you make this change.

Bottom line change can be scary. It can also be really hard. The whole point to setting yourself up for success is to make these changes easier on you. When you feel supported and surround yourself with all the resources you need you are much more likely to succeed. So with whatever aspect of your life that you are trying to change, adopt some of these principles and you will be well on your way to a new and improved you.

Now I want to hear from you. What support systems are you going to put in place? What have you done in the past that has helped you break bad habits? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.