Everyone loves the idea of a new beginning, the chance to start over, to set new goals and try again. Every January, we have the chance to feel like we are starting over. This year, we also get to attack a new decade, potentially providing us with even more motivation.

But how do we avoid starting out strong, only to fall back into bad habits by February? Here are a few tips to keep you moving toward your goals all year long.

Start Small

It’s important to remember that the more change that’s necessary, the slower you should go. In other words, if you can think of ten big things that need to change, start with one or two and work your way through your list deliberately, but not all at once. If you want to stop eating sugar, and start working out, and go to bed earlier, start with one of these goals. Not all three at once. Or work on each in smaller increments, rather than expecting yourself to change all your behavior, all at once. This way you avoid feeling deprived and overwhelmed, and avoid the risk of losing all your steam quickly.

Think Movement, not Exercise

When asked, most people would say they don’t work out enough, or wished they could make it a habit, but just never seem to stick to it. This is partly because people don’t enjoy exercise and equate it more with punishment than reward. Rather than strapping yourself to a treadmill, or elliptical, think back and try to remember what you used to love doing as a kid. Did you like to dance, or play soccer, or be outside in nature? The key to better health is movement, not necessarily strenuous exercise. Turn on some music you love and dance. Go for a walk around the neighborhood. Kick a soccer ball with your kids. If you are trying to add exercise to your life, start by just adding movement for fifteen to twenty minutes a day. You will likely find that just moving makes you feel better and that feeling will inspire you to find more ways to move.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Other People

One of the most important things to remember when trying to create a healthy lifestyle is that your journey toward health will not look like anyone else's. What works for one person may not work for you and what is healthy for one person may not be healthy for you. For example, some people feel great when they cut out most carbohydrates all together, while others find they need a certain amount to feel fueled. Some people can eat a lot of dairy and lose weight, some can’t tolerate it at all. We have to tap into our own “body wisdom.” In other words, find out what works for you and then be consistent and let your results be yours. Men often lose weight faster than women, as do the young versus the old -- but rather than dwell on the fairness, or lack thereof, we can simply seek to discover what works best for the body we have. And move forward.

Get Outside

Studies have shown that getting outside helps establish healthy circadian rhythms, which in turn improves our sleep. Sleep is imperative for overall health and weight loss. Being in nature also helps reduce our stress levels, equally imperative to a healthy lifestyle. Just sitting outside with a cup of tea is good; even better if you are outside and moving.

Replace Regret with Gratitude

It’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated when you find yourself in less-than-ideal health. The human tendency is often to spend too much time regretting the behaviors and decisions that brought us to our current condition. We can get stuck in the past or look only to some future hope of regaining our health. What you must do instead, is focus on the present. What decisions can you make today, right now, that will benefit your health? Gratitude is the best antidote for regret because it forces us to focus on what is right in front of us. Start your day with at least three new things for which you are grateful. They have to be new, but they can be anything. You’ll find that there is less room for negativity, regret and resentment if you make space for what is truly good in your life.

At the end of the day, a new year is really about each day and all the opportunity it affords for change. If we take it one step, one choice, and one change at a time, it can all add up to a year where we find ourselves healthier, happier, and more ourselves on the other end.

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