SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first Monday of a new year is notorious for the start of resolutions. But, studies show by February 80% of goal setters abandon their plans.
ABC10 Health Expert Dr. Tom Hopkins said there are ways to beat that statistic.
Keep things attainable, simple and straightforward. Hopkins said people should also set up their environment to help meet that goal. Planning rewards along the way could also help you stay on track.
Hopkins said if someone wants to make a permanent change, they need to identify what chance they want to make and then strategize how to go about it.
"Set up a plan with some realistic goals and then have continual monitoring of what you're actually doing," Hopkins said. "Here's a simple thing if you want to lose weight, or let's just say if you want to start off with an exercise program, and you want to get to the gym or whatever — set yourself up knowing the rewards of how good that's going to feel."
Hopkins said small changes and making them part of your daily routine can help form long-term changes.
"Try to create this behavior loop, something very simple like putting your running shoes right by the door all the time. So every time, whether you're going to go off on a run, whether you're not, you see those shoes as a reminder," Hopkins said. "It is your cue of what goal you're trying to achieve. You tap into that reward of feeling good, and looking good and the health benefits."
Being consistent is another step for long-term change because it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic and anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit, according to Healthline.
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