What to Do When a New Habit Doesn’t Work

After you have created some simple habits to create positive change in your life, take some time to reflect on the results you’ve achieved so far. This gives you an opportunity to decide if you want to continue with this habit, if it’s time to call it quits, or if you just need to adjust part of it.

When a New Habit Doesn’t Work

It’s important to recognize that not every new habit you start is going to be something you stick with forever. There are some that absolutely will stick and will probably change your life for the better. But just like other things you attempt in your life, not all habits are going to be perfect from beginning to end.

It’s okay to take a step back, consider where you are and whether or not your new habit is working for you. If a habit isn’t working out, it doesn’t mean you chose a bad habit, but that it doesn’t work for you personally, for your schedule, your lifestyle, or where you are right now in your life.

Remember that your priorities and goals can change as you go through life, and it’s okay for your habits to change along with them.

Did You Give it Enough Time?

Before you decide to ditch or change one of your new habits, give it enough time. The amount of time you’ll need varies depending on the type of habit and your personal goals, but about 30 days is usually a good starting point. This is long enough for it to become integrated into your daily routine and hopefully it’s gotten to a point where you no longer have to really even think about it.

However, if you have been practicing the same habit for a couple of months and you still don’t see any benefits from it, or it still feels like pulling teeth every time you do it, then maybe it isn’t the right habit for where you are in your life right now.

Tracking Your Progress and Making Changes

This is why tracking your new habits is so important. You can actually see how long you have been doing it, if you’ve been consistent, and how your new habit is benefiting you. If you start a new job and put in the work, you expect to be paid for your efforts.

The same can be said for when you work really hard on a new habit or goal and it just doesn’t pay off in the end. You want to choose habits you can stick with and track and that will have some type of benefit for your lifestyle and goals.

Get Started Today!

Grab your free 5 Day Healthy Habits Challenge and start forming your healthier habits today!