Aristotle said “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” Making and sticking with healthy habits leads to a healthier you. Brook is here to support you in that journey. We’ve got you covered. Here are 5 easy ways to build habits for success that can last:

Plan ahead

Take time at the end of the day to plan out your next day. This could include planning what you will eat for your meals, any physical activity or walks, work tasks, meetings, errands, and chores. Writing this down, or even just taking mental notes, helps you stay on track and saves you worry and decision-making willpower the next day, leaving you better able to deal with bigger issues and still make healthy choices.

Remove barriers

Make it easy to stick to your habits. Eliminate as much work you need to do to stick to the habit as possible. For example: if you want to eat healthier snacks, make them readily available and more easily accessible than unhealthy ones, put them on the counter, in the front of the fridge at eye level, or in your desk at work. Another example: if you hope to start a regular habit of going to the gym or walking, keep your gym shoes ready to go and out of the closet, have your gym clothes folded and by your bed in the morning, or join a gym near your home or on the way home from work. If you work from home, schedule exercise during your day and make it like any other meeting or appointment you need to keep.

Set goals

Break large or long-term goals into manageable, daily tasks. We’ve all heard this before, but thinking about the concrete steps you need to take every day to move towards that goal really is the first step towards accomplishing that goal. Writing your goals in SMART format is the easiest way to set goals that you are more likely to meet.  If you would like help with this, our Health Coaches are available to chat in your Brook app 7 days a week.

You don’t have be perfect

Don’t let small slip-ups lead to bigger ones. Everyone has bad days. Getting down on yourself doesn’t get you closer to success. Take a minute to reflect on why the slip-up occurred and if you can do anything to prevent it in the future, then let it go and move forward. Keep in mind that even slow progress is still progress.

Find accountability

Research shows that people are more likely to stick to new habits if they tell someone their goals. That’s what Brook’s Health Coaches are there for. Plus they can help you set SMART goals, find ways to make building new habits easy, and help you navigate setbacks as they arise.