1. Start small

By all means aim high, but break things down into small daily wins. Have you heard the phrase: eat the elephant one spoonful at a time? Resolutions people actually keep tend to be tangible, achievable goals. The ones that fail are too grand and vague: goals like “exercise more” or “eat healthier”. Instead try something small and specific like “make fruit part of every breakfast.” Focus on that, and the bigger changes will follow. We know, for example, that after adding a kencko smoothie to their morning routines, many kencko members report eating more fresh fruits and veggies throughout the day.

2. Keep it easy 

 Research shows that the easier the habit, the quicker it is to adopt. So you’ve got your small daily win, how can you now make it easier to achieve? The trick is in cutting the decision-making process. Make it a (literal) no-brainer to choose your healthy habit over other temptations. For example, if you want to stop doomscrolling, delete the app from your phone’s home screen. If you want to do more exercise, leave your gym kit in your bag. If you want to eat more fruits and veggies, choose a convenient, fruit and veggie-filled drink or snack that you can take with you in your pocket, anywhere. 

3. Be flexible

Less “omg I slept through my alarm and now my whole morning routine is ruined”. More “ok I slept through my alarm, today I’ll do my morning routine in the evening”. Chances are, there will be moments when your original plan falls through. But studies suggest that those who vary their daily schedules, give themselves permission to make mistakes, and look for alternative plans have more success in sticking with their habits in the long run. It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing process. Find a backup, don’t sweat the slip ups. 

4. Think positive

Half the battle of achieving your goal is believing you can actually achieve it. Athletes use science-based visualization techniques to better understand their goals and bring them closer to success. The same motivation-building methods can be applied to habits. Creating affirmative thought-patterns and directing your focus towards the desired end results can do huge favors. Rather than thinking “I want to be someone who drinks more water”, try “I am drinking more water”. Rather than thinking of your habit as a chore, reframe “I have to eat more fruits and veggies” into “I get to start my day with kencko”. 

5. Create incentives

Sometimes the long-term value of a habit is not enough to motivate us in the present. We need that instant gratification. So add something enjoyable into your resolution that acts as a reward in the moment. Buy yourself a new notebook to journal in. Gift yourself a kencko bottle to shake up your smoothies. Watch your favorite reality TV show on the treadmill. If you make it fun, it’s more likely to stick. You might even start looking forward to it.