Success is just a string of good habits.

Anyone else wish they had better habits?

At some point, we all want to create a new habit or break an old one that no longer serves. And no matter how much we want to change, habits are hard, even when we want to dismantle one!

First, cut yourself some slack. According to studies, most people only change when where they are is too painful, or where they want to go is super desirable. For me, quitting sugar or gluten is neither - I love both, especially when combined! So motivation is tough.

Giving up a habit (like sugar) is nearly impossible unless you replace it. Like the puppy who trots off with our favorite shoe, we must replace the desired with an alternate behavior. After all, the universe hates a vacuum and will fill the space. So don't think about giving up or stopping an old habit; instead, think of a new one you want. For me and sugar, the new habit was planning out my meals. Before you know it, the new habit crowds out the old one.

But creating new habits is just as hard, even if you want to work your dogs for just five minutes daily. Here are some tips to get you started.

Anchoring - My favorite way to start a new habit is to anchor it to something you already do, like brushing your teeth. For example, I wanted to meditate daily, so I tied it to the end of my workouts. The downside is when I don't work out, the meditation doesn't happen. However, I'm meditating a LOT more, so I'm calling it a win!

Lower the bar - If you want to work your dogs daily, start with once per week or twice. If we chew off more than we can do successfully, then we set ourselves up for failure, and nothing happens.

Reward yourself - Depending on the importance of the new habit, you may want to employ some sort of reward to celebrate milestones. It doesn't have to cost anything, or you can hold off buying those new sneakers until you're a week in. What's important is that the reward is meaningful to you. If gold stars on the fridge is your jam, then off to Staples you go.

Write it down - Committing our habits to paper is a surprisingly powerful way to hold yourself accountable. Whether you write it down before or after, you'll hold yourself more accountable.

Make a plan - If your habit needs some pre-work to execute it (like having healthy snacks in the house), then set yourself up for success. Don't let your failure to plan turn into you giving up on your important new habit!

Success is the sum of what we do every day - even the boring ones. So good habits are our building blocks! Please don't take them lightly.