Tips to help you achieve any goal

It can sometimes feel overwhelming and unsustainable to set new goals, especially if you've struggled to achieve them in the past. Regardless, it's never too late to give yourself some compassion and try again. These tips can help.

Find your why

Plenty of people are motivated to form new habits, but you're more likely to succeed if you're strongly committed to your success. Commitment stems from knowing why you want to reach a goal—and making sure your reason is important to you. To get clear on your why ask yourself things like: What brings me joy? What inspires me? What am I trying to achieve? What are the benefits? Why does this goal matter?

Schedule it

Next, determine how often you want to work toward your new habit. Is it daily or weekly? Make your efforts routine by scheduling time to pursue your goal. Don't let it get pushed aside.

Be kind to yourself

Some days may require rest and even a bit of indulgence. If you lose track of your goal, be gentle with yourself. Life can get in the way. Often, you have no control over these disruptions. What you can control is the way you react.

Try a health coach

If you find yourself struggling to stick to your goals, accountability can make a huge difference. A health coach is someone who can support you on your journey.

Start with mini habits

Mini habits are daily routines, rituals or actions that take just a few minutes to perform but can compound over time. They are easy enough that you won't talk yourself out of them and take enough effort to provide feelings of accomplishment. For example, some physical health-related mini habits include:

• Walking for 10 minutes each day when you get home
• Stretching for five minutes each morning
• Doing 10 squats while waiting for your morning coffee to brew
• Adding a vegetable to your breakfast
• Drinking a glass of water after checking your morning emails
• Doing just one pushup a day
• Planking for one minute a day