Small Habits Build Momentum Toward Lasting Change

It is January. A time for adopting a laundry list of new habits and changing others for a new year, leading to a new you. Whether you want to exercise more, eat better, stop smoking or get more sleep, resetting goals at the beginning of the year feels like a fresh start.

But going from habit to lifestyle is a process. Experts agree that the best way to approach changes in habits is to start small and set attainable, short-term goals. And not to berate yourself if you fall short or don’t meet a goal for a specific day, because while January is a good starting point, you can reset every day of the year. “I view January as the month that all health breaks loose,” said Michelle Thompson, D.O., who is board certified in lifestyle medicine and integrative medicine and is the head of UPMC’s Lifestyle Medicine Department. “Know that it is process, not perfection.”

Michelle Thompson, D.O.

Thompson explained that “lifestyle” is comprised of six pillars: sleep; exercise; nutrition; stress management; substance use; and connections with others. Each pillar is intrinsically linked, so even if you make one change or implement one good habit in any of those areas, that could cause a positive ripple effect. “You don’t change those six things overnight. You don’t go to a buffet and eat everything; you go and pick a few things and say, ‘I’ll try these.’ You just focus on one thing start there, and if you feel like you’re successful with that one thing, you roll into the next: ‘I did a good job today avoiding sugar, now I’m going to move my body,’” she said.

When establishing and committing to lifestyle changes, mindset is very important. “I teach patients to be their own best healer, to listen to their inner wisdom and inner guidance, because the answer is inside of them,” said Thompson.

“That is one of the biggest things that lifestyle medicine can do,” she continued. “It can help you listen to yourself, knowing you are in the drivers’ seat of your life and you have the ability to make change.”

And veering off course is not a reason to give up; rather, it is an opportunity to start again.

Pamela Biasca Losada, M.S.

Pamela Biasca Losada, M.S., a psychologist, guided meditation facilitator and ICF professional certified coach, works with many clients who are high performers and perfectionists. “They tend to look very successful on the outside, but they are usually running empty on the inside. They tend to be very overwhelmed and stressed out,” she said. She helps clients reduce stress so that they can think clearly, feel more at peace with increased self-awareness, self-confidence and trust so that they can make better decisions. “I also help them reframe unhelpful thoughts.”

One mistake people often make when attempting to incorporate positive changes into their daily lives is to look too far ahead or think too big: that is when motivation can take a nosedive. “I think there is so much impact if you do the smaller bites: take little baby steps on a consistent basis,” said Losada. Even an hour a day to devote to a certain task, like exercising, may not be attainable for the majority of people. For that reason, she advocates for doing something in short bursts. “A few minutes here and there can lead to a lot of impact and positive results as long as it’s consistent,” she said.

Gretchen North

Gretchen North, who is a professional life and career coach certified by the International Coaching Federation and is the owner of Go North Coaching, helps clients with tobacco cessation, weight management, relationship issues and many other aspects of their lives. North said that people often set up roadblocks for themselves by their own negative thought patterns, so she helps people identify those limiting beliefs and reframe them in a positive context. “For example, if one has a perfectionist default thought pattern, they may say ‘It’s not worth going to the gym if I can’t go every day of the week.’ We’re believing lies that keep us stuck and disrupt the new habit we’re trying to create. Instead, we should use those thoughts as allies and reframe the thought as: ‘What is true is that I would feel better if I went to the gym two days a week for 20 minutes.’”

North added that it is up to her clients to decide where in their lives they want to make changes rather than her making any specific suggestions. “It has to come from within.”

Regarding the notion of making small changes in order to kick up larger changes, North said to envision a game of dominoes. “If you’re able to tip that first tile to create momentum to start that behavior, your confidence and motivation will be sustained by identifying the next small tile to tip and so on,” she said.

For many people, making a mistake or veering off course regarding a specific goal can lead to giving up too quickly or feeling like they have failed. “I remind clients that what you focus on expands. If you’re focusing on the failures, you are just going to see more failure. If you focus on ‘I’m human, I made a mistake,’ focus on what it looks like to give yourself grace and permission to have what you want. Focus on knowing you’re deserving of having the lifestyle that you want,” said North.

One strategy for staying on course is to actually schedule something in your calendar for each specific goal, even if it’s for only five or ten minutes a day. Checking off a scheduled task can make you feel quite accomplished. There also are habit tracker apps that remind you to engage in a certain daily activity. “I absolutely think that tracking is an excellent visual for progress but also identifies trends where are they slacking off. I think people are motivated by different things but being able to have a visual of their progress is extremely valuable,” said North.

“Other people like to team up and have an accountability buddy system, such as a family member or friend, so they also feel like they can check in with someone,” added Losada.

Another strategy is to keep your goals sustainable and attainable. Losada said that it is not a necessity to strive for 100%. “Perfection is not the goal. Start slow and slowly build up. There is always another day where you can press that reset button for yourself. I hear it often: ‘I already screwed up, so what is the point?’ almost like it is all or nothing, but there are nuances in between. We’re all human and get sidetracked; we can always go back.”

Finally, Thompson said to focus on the present, as thinking about the past can be depressing and the future can create anxiety and feel unattainable. “If you focus on the present moment and come back to the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, ask what is it you want to work on today, right now, in this moment. What you pick off the list of those six things is what is right for you. Every one of them, all six things, leads to another pillar, because they are all important. Be proud of yourself and meet yourself where you are.”