Around this time of year, you will see posts of all kinds toting that a new year is a perfect time for a new you. Call them resolutions if you will. However, I find resolutions to be not quite the right mindset to have when you want to make a change…I mean, it is a great idea to decide that you want to change something about yourself, but just saying it, will not create change, you have to actually do it. You can’t just say, this year I am going to lose weight or this year I am going to stop smoking. You need to have a plan and if you can’t break the habits that got you there in the first place, then it is going to be a rough road.

To change a habit, you need consistency. A good reminder of how long it takes to change a habit is to think of it in terms of 21 days. When we do things consistently for twenty-one days it changes the makeup in our brains so the action becomes a habit and then we don’t even have to think about it…or in this case not doing it. So if you want to break a habit, try substituting it with something else for twenty-one days. Something healthy! For example, instead of reaching for the donuts, try an apple with peanut butter. Instead of binging on Netflix, read a book.

So are you up for a 21-day challenge? What is it about yourself that you want to change this year? What is your plan? Be specific “This year I want to change x by doing x”. Post a comment and check back to let us know how things went. If you need some more information about habits to get you started, check out the book The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. He has a great story about how he broke his afternoon snacking habit.