Every result in our life begins with a thought, conscious or otherwise, and a lot happens in between. So, if you want to create healthy habits in your life, it can be valuable to sit down and really break it all down to see what is going well right now and what could be improved. With self-reflection, you can establish new habits that will make different areas of your life stronger, more productive, and more balanced.

Analyze your thoughts

To make your life healthier, it’s a good idea to look into your mind first. After all, it is impossible to eat better, get up in the morning to work out, or cultivate a supportive group of friends if your thoughts are negative.

Be careful with the difference between negativity and realism. For example, if you want to lose weight, realism would be “I won’t lose 10 pounds overnight.” Negativity would be “I will never lose any weight.” Being realistic about your goals is vital, but when toxic thoughts drive your actions, you won’t be able to make any progress.

Know exactly what it is you want to accomplish and why

New habits are a whole lot easier to maintain if you know why you are doing them in the first place. If you would like to find a new job, you may have months of searching ahead of you. It will be much easier to fill out those dozens of applications if you focus on how you will feel when you land your dream position. It’s the same for a physical goal, such as completing your first 10K. You will be running miles and working out in order to prepare, so picturing crossing the finish line and your success can keep you going.

Be honest about what you’re letting slide

We all have bad habits that we prefer to live with rather than address. To create healthy habits, it is vital that you really analyze yourself and write down what needs to be improved. If you want to have a cleaner, more organized home, then putting your mail down in the corner of the living room and forgetting about it isn’t helping. If you want to bring down your cholesterol levels, then ask yourself what you are buying at the supermarket that is contributing to the problem. The more you can admit where you are falling short, the easier it will be to take new steps and create a better future for yourself.

Be patient – Rome wasn’t built in a day

Everyone wants their finances to improve overnight, but the reality is that it takes time to implement wiser spending habits. It’s been said that success is really about incremental steps that very gradually add up to what you want to accomplish. While we all want change to happen in the blink of an eye, that’s actually a recipe for failure. By focusing on small steps, you will build momentum and get to your own finish line sooner than you would have otherwise.

Value and celebrate the small wins

This one is best illustrated through the eyes of an NFL team that wins the Superbowl. It’s every team’s dream to make it to the championship, but if that was all they cared about, the way would be too long to enjoy. The wise player values the wins along the way: the first touchdown, the first tackle, making it to the playoffs, etc. 

The trouble with focusing only on the end is that until you make it there – if you even do – you are basically miserable. You can’t see everything worthwhile around you, so no matter what your own goal is, be sure to value the journey.

Forgive yourself when you backslide

Some habits are just hard to establish. If you have never been a morning person, then it will be hard to get up at 5:00 a.m. to go take that run. Every once in a while, you are going to lack the willpower to get up, and you will find yourself snoring when you should be huffing and puffing. When it happens, get tough with yourself so that it doesn’t happen again, but forgive yourself. You are only human, after all.

Healthy habits in 2023 are not impossible. The trick is to focus on the most important ones and to not overload yourself with too many. That way, you can gradually transform your life and reach for your dreams.