Maybe it’s just the change of season, or perhaps it’s all of the years of getting my kids ready for “back to school”, but I have often thought of September as a kind of “new year” – a time to settle into a routine.

A peek at my social media feeds tells me I’m not alone in viewing the pending new season as an opportunity to create some new habits.

So I’m sharing a few tips to help turn this new season motivation into good habits to finish 2021 strong.

The content of this post was originally published in January 2013

Pace yourself — It is very easy to get too hyped up – even “over-motivated”? – go out too hard, and then fizzle, or get injured. Start small…baby steps can add up to big payoffs down the road.

Be consistent — Everything I’ve ever read says that it takes between 21 and 28 days to build a good habit, and from personal experience, I believe that to be true. Whatever the new habit is that you’re trying to adopt, schedule it into your day/week. Being consistent will help ensure the new habit sticks.

Be kind to yourself — Everyone experiences setbacks. When you fall down (either literally or figuratively), the key is to not beat yourself up over it, but be willing to pick yourself up and begin again.

Find a partner or group — There’s a lot to be said for being accountable to someone else and having someone to draw motivation from on those days when you’re not feeling it. On the flip side, beware of spending time around others who don’t support your efforts – they will drain you! As much as possible, spend time with others who model the behavior/habits you’re striving for.

Keep visual reminders — Whether it’s a word, phrase, or photo, posting visual reminders where you’re sure to see them will help keep your goals at the forefront. Energy flows where attention goes so make your goals hard to ignore and you’re more likely to follow through.

What new habits are you trying to build? What tricks work for you?

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