At the start of every school year, I am sure we all try to improve. By doing so we have a list of goals we want to accomplish this year set aside in our mind. However, most of the time, those goals never actually become completed. For that reason, below is a step-by-step guide to making changes in your habits these coming months.

Tip1: Start Small

From you first deciding you want to improve; you then try and change your habits. Habits are the foundation of goals. Instead of just waking up one day and saying I want to get an A on my test or I want to read a book by the end of the month, you need to take it step by step. First, you must start small, and by that, I mean improve a little bit every day, so you not only complete this short-term goal but instead make it a lifelong habit.

Tip 2: Consistency is Key- “Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results” (Clear)

I am sure at the beginning of every school year we all tell ourselves we want to be the best version of ourselves this year and improve one hundred percent. However, it doesn’t just take one day to get one hundred percent better, it takes one hundred days. Improving one percent every day is simple. One percent a day could just be a change of mindset. Then the next day, study for five minutes, adding a little more time every day. Then 98 days later, you will have successfully completed your goal and may want to up the challenge.

Tip 3: The Reinforcement

In order to pursue your goals throughout the school year you must reward yourself each time you change your habits. For example, if you want to spend less time on your phone and more time reading, then you would start by taking a small amount of the time you spend on your phone and applying it to your reading. You might end up procrastinating when it comes down to actually reading, studying, or starting your run. However, circling back to tip #1, starting small, once you set up your study materials or get ready for your workout, you have successfully completed the first step, and now you must move forward to the next.

Think about the last time you completed something. It doesn’t matter if it was big or small but think about how it made you feel. Having good habits will not only make you achieve your goals faster, but it will also make you happier, and healthier, and overall improve your quality of life.

Works Cited

Clear, James. Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results: an Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York City, Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2018.