1. Set goals and commit to them by WRITING them down on paper.  Tell your partner, friends and family about your goals (sometimes we find it more acceptable to disappoint ourselves than to disappoint others).  Much is said about SMART goals.  This is what it means:

S = Specific
“I want to get healthier by riding my bike to work 3 times per week” is better than “I want to start exercising”.  Ask yourself who, what, why, when and where.

M = Measurable
“I want to improve my diet by eating 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day” is better than “I want to improve my diet.”  You must be able to measure your progress and when you see progress, what a motivating tool it is!

A = Attainable
Let’s take for example someone who is totally new to running.  “I am going to run the local community 5K fun run in 4 months time” is better than “I am going to run the London Marathon, which is 4 months from now”.

R = Realistic
Are you willing and able to work towards your goal?  Is it realistic to bike to work when it’s 50 kilometers away and your kids need to be picked up from daycare by 6 PM – Perhaps your goal needs to be scaled back to reflect your lifestyle and the demands placed upon it.

T = Timely
You need to have a time frame in place – some urgency to get you going.  “I am going to lose one stone by 1 September is better than “I am going to lose weight”.

2. Commit for one month.  Four weeks should be enough time for you to make the desired action a powerful habit.  Sure, if you are committing to working out before work, getting up earlier will be difficult over the first couple of weeks, but as we all know things get easier.  Commit to 30 days and see your healthy habits stick.

3. Do your homework.  Know exactly what the benefits are of the habit you’re trying to develop.  If you want to improve your fitness through running, research the benefits of running.  What physiologic changes will take place?  Will you sleep better?  Better concentration?  Will you be able to deal with stress better?  By knowing exactly what the benefits are for the healthy habit you are developing, your chances of success will be significantly enhanced.

4. Get support.  Tell your partner, family, friends about the healthy habit you’re trying to develop.  Developing habits are always easier when you’re not at it alone.  Support will help you through those tough stretches, which will occur.  Better yet, finding someone that is trying to build a habit that is the same or similar to yours will provide a huge amount of support and motivation.

5. Get serious about developing your healthy habits.  We have a unique ability to justify anything.  An extra day off from the gym will not kill me, or eating these crisps are fine because they say “low in fat”.  We all have lapses, which will never change, but when you feel yourself wavering, get tough.  Often when the last thing you feel like doing is working out, by simply getting out the door, you’re practically there.  Once out the door there’s no turning back!  I have never gone for a run or workout when I have absolutely dreaded it for one reason or another and felt bad about it afterwards.  It’s the opposite.  It feels amazing because you beat that little voice inside you that was telling you to stay put!