Getting Back in the Habit

WRITTEN BY: Jennifer Strout, founder of MotivateU

Let’s admit, it’s not uncommon to start something with all the enthusiasm in the world, only to abandon it a short time later. Whether that ‘something’ is exercising, reading, writing, or anything else that requires consistency and time. Honestly, sometimes, getting started again after stopping can seem like an impossible task. However, you need to acknowledge that change is a process, and sometimes, it takes one step backward to take three steps forward. 

Here are a few tips to help you get restarted again: 

Reflect on Why You Stopped in the First Place
The first step to getting started again is to reflect on why you stopped in the first place. Was it due to lack of motivation, too busy, or did something else derail you? Reflecting on the reason will help you identify any changes you need to make to ensure you don't face the same challenge again. It’s imperative that you are honest with yourself in this process. Remember the goal is to determine any blockers or barriers, not to make yourself feel bad.

Set Realistic Goals
Once you have identified the reason for stopping, reevaluate your goals and make sure that they are realistic. While it's tempting to try to immediately jump back to where you left off, that may be impractical. For example, if you stopped a previous exercise routine, such as a daily walk, you could start with a 10-minute walk every day before increasing back to your previous thirty minutes.

Anchor Your Habit
Consistency is key when forming habits. Therefore, forming a routine will help you stay on track. Identify an existing routine you engage in, and place the new habit in the middle or end of it. By adding your newer habit to an existing routine, you will benefit from the automatic process that you have already established. This tactic has been proven to be much more effective in terms of solidifying a new habit, and is referred to as anchoring.

Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress is an excellent way to stay motivated and keep you accountable. Recording your progress daily will help you monitor how far you have come and identify areas where you need to improve. This practice will also serve as a visual reminder of your achievements, keeping you motivated to keep going. MotivateU offers goal tracking tools and visual progress trackers, which are available on all tiers including the complementary one. 

Celebrate Your Wins
It's crucial to celebrate your wins, no matter how small they may seem. Each milestone you achieve is worth celebrating, as it demonstrates progress towards your goal. Sharing your victories with others can also help to increase this motivation. MotivateU also offers the ability to join leaderboards with others who share similar goals to yourself, or only with select friends. Goals are ranked by percentage of goal achieved, rather than hard numbers, so the progress is supportive regardless of how new you are to your goal. 

In conclusion, getting started again on a habit after stopping can seem like a daunting task. However, with the right mindset and approach, it’s possible to get back on track. The key is to reflect on why you stopped, set realistic goals, anchor your new routine, track your progress, and celebrate your wins. Remember, change is a process, and it all starts with the first step.

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Other blog posts on the topic of habits and goals:
Be Proud of Your Progress
​3 Steps to Achieving Your Goals