Small steps, not giant leaps, lead to lasting change.
The distance between dreams and reality.
Motivation gets you started, habits keep you going.
Place cliche here:___________________________________.
The cliches are easy. But, the key is to....
When people are trying to make any sort of change (health, professional, personal), there is invariably a reason (the "why"). The change generally leads to a clear improvement over situation.
In some cases, the "why" (motivation and incentive) is reason enough. Unless somebody is
lucky enough to love their profession, they generally work to earn a paycheck which helps them pay their bills and survive. The consequences of not working are serious, and unpleasant, enough to provide incentive to work.
In the past, I have written about (and had to deal with) the difference between wanting to be healthier and being healthier. (As of this writing, I am going in the right direction.) For some people, a clear warning from their doctor (or even a legitimate scare) is not enough to change an unhealthy habit.
The problem is that the same unhealthy habits that caused the problem (weight gain, heart trouble, etc) are, not unsurprisingly, routine. It is easy to plan to drink more water, walk a specific distance every day or monitor for calories/weight.
But, consistently doing something (especially when it runs counter to an existing routine), can be an obstacle to making a change.
One option is to start with a relatively simple habit, ideally one that can be tied to other habits later. (Committing to a weigh in once a week is easy, and can be a reminder to make better decisions.)
It is generally assumed that it takes ~3 weeks for most people to establish a new habit, and that it takes ~3 months for that habit to become a routine that does not require significant thought (such as brushing one's teeth).
Disruptions, particularly early in the process, break a habit before it forms. (If somebody is consistently too tired to exercise after work, they may want to schedule that for a weekend or morning, when they have time to make exercise habitual.)
When one habit becomes routine, change another habit that would logically follow
from the first change. (For example, after committing to a short walk after dinner,
cut back on eating junk food after getting home.)
When the results start to become more obvious (lost weight, a looser belt),
the changes are easier to accept and build on.
This blog, much like the Weigh Better U fitness studio, can offer guidance and
pointers. But, the end-user (reading this article or working out in the studio)
makes and executes their own plan.
Best,
Sam