This is part 5 of a 5-part series on HABITS. It’s a great starting point for bettering yourself as a parent: Part 1, Part2, Part 3, Part 4,
Track Progress to Maintain Your Motivation
Breaking the habits that you formed is challenging and often frustrating, but staying motivated and on track is key to success. By tracking your progress, you will see how far you’ve come, identify areas for improvement, and stay motivated to keep going.
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Tips on Breaking the Habits YOU created
Set Specific, Achievable Goals – Almost nothing is more important than setting the right type of goals. Staying on track will be more difficult if the goals are not specific and achievable.
For example, if you’re trying to break the habit of procrastination, your goal might be to complete all tasks within a certain timeframe or reduce the amount of time you procrastinate each day. ** Please read the end of this article and learn about the SMART Goal approach.**
Keep a Journal
A journal is a great way to track your progress and reflect on breaking the habits that you are thinking about. Write down your goals, progress, and any challenges or setbacks you encounter. This helps you stay accountable as you continue working towards your goals.
Write them down now. Stop reading this post and write your goals down…GO!
Use a Habit Tracker
Habit trackers are useful for monitoring your progress and staying on track. You can use a physical tracker such as a planner or notebook, or a digital app such as Coach.me, Habitica, or Habitbull.
Celebrate Small Victories
It’s important to celebrate your progress, no matter how small. When you celebrate your progress, the feeling will help you continue working towards your goals. For example, if you’re trying to break the habit of overeating, you might celebrate reaching a certain weight-loss milestone or simply making it through the day without overeating.
Seek Support
Having a supportive network of friends, family, or a professional therapist can make a big difference in your success in overcoming a bad habit. They will provide encouragement, accountability, and a listening ear when struggling.
Find an Accountability Partner
An accountability partner helps you stay accountable for your progress toward achieving your goals. You can work with them to set goals, track your progress, and offer encouragement and support.
Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself for making progress is a great motivator. You can reward yourself with something small, such as a special treat or a small gift, or something more substantial, such as a day out or a weekend trip. Just be sure to keep your rewards in line with your goals and progress. How about going to see a movie alone and taking a long car ride?
Stay Positive
It’s important to stay positive and keep an optimistic mindset, even when things get tough. When you’re more upbeat about the situation, continuing to work towards your goals is a lot more fun. Try to focus on the progress you’ve made and the positive changes you’ve experienced rather than dwelling on setbacks or failures.
Conclusion
Tracking your progress and staying motivated is vital to overcoming bad habits. When you create a plan, you will stay on track, working towards your goals little by little. As a result, you’ll avoid getting overwhelmed and won’t even need that much motivation. Plus, you will overcome bad habits and lead a happier, healthier life with patience, perseverance, and a commitment to self-improvement.
The goals MUST be clear and reachable!
Breaking the habits you created…with a S.M.A.R.T. plan.
- Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
- Achievable (agreed, attainable).
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive).
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