The Tribune

By Christine Carey

Kicking bad habits is not always easy. Through determination, motivation and an honest need to change, many people try new ways of eating, exercising and thinking to improve their lives.

So many times though we get off track. Either because life gets in the way of the routine we’re trying to implement or we forget why we’re changing.

The stage between “the way you used to do things” to “the way it ought to be” I call transition. In transition, we experience the momentum that makes implementing the changes easy. Those first couple days you’re doing everything right. Then the temptations hit us from all sides. Physically and mentally we are bombarded by triggers that make us think that we can handle just a little taste of whatever, or going home to relax rather than exercising, and then as we all know too well, we’re back to our old way of living. We’re off track.

So how do you create more opportunity for success?

I had my own personal journey with just this thing. My healthy lifestyle took about four years to fully implement and to become a part of my everyday habits. What I learned is this: positive changes take time. Positive changes take patience. Positive changes take overcoming mental challenges.

Here’s my guide to aiding you in reaching your own goals:

1. Truly understand why you need to be healthier. If you equip yourself with a meaningful reason then you will only see benefits to sticking to your personal plan. For some people it may be a superficial reason, like they want to fit into a smaller clothing size. For others, the motivation may be deeper, like reversing or preventing a treatable lifestyle disease, or correcting behaviours in relationships.

2. Have a support team. You will need reminders, encouragement and guidance from others at different times. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people who always cheer you on.

3. Create a clear vision of yourself as the “best version”. Envision yourself in that outfit; see yourself responding in the best way during conflicts; feel your life when you are more energised. Hold that image of yourself clearly.

4. Consult with a nutritional expert and life coach. As you embark on this journey to creating the best version of yourself you will need to understand the underlying issues that may come up which have prevented you from making these changes in the past. If you can address this early on then you will have a better chance of long-term success. Habit change is critical and we usually get in our own way.

5. Follow a 80/20 or 90/10 structure. Be firm with your new routine the majority of the time and then during the smaller percentage just relax, enjoy a binge. This makes for a balanced approach while staying on track.

• This column shares preventative health tips and life transformation tools aiming to enlighten the reader to living their full potential with passion and purpose. Christine Carey is a certified holistic health and life coach, blogger (www.christine-carey), and co-owner of Liquid Nutrition (www.liquidnutrition.com).

This content is not intended to diagnose or treat any diseases. It is intended to be provided for informational, educational, and self-empowerment purposes only. Please consult with your wellness team and then make your own well informed decisions based upon what is best for your unique genetics, culture, conditions and stage of life.