The New Year is here. This week is usually a little stressful, with people returning to their jobs and routines after weeks of festivities. It’s a popular time for taking on some resolutions and begin building new habits, which in turn will allow them to eat more healthy, workout more, and get their life in order. While it’s common to admire people who stick to their routines, it’s important to know that these people have built their own habits, which take some time and effort to build.

Here’s what you should know about building habits:

Be specific

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When trying to achieve a goal or build a habit, it’s important to be as specific as possible. Opt for meditation or healthier eating, versus simply wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. And get even more specific, setting parameters like meditating for four days a week or going on a 20 minute walk on a daily basis.

Make a plan and stick to it

When building new habits, it’s important to determine what you’ll do and the day in which you’ll do it. The more specific you get, the better. For example, making a plan to workout 4 days a week might be easier if you choose to do it on mornings before work. Introduce your plan into a calendar or a planner, increasing your odds of sticking to it.

Allow for some flexibility

Incorporating new habits is difficult, so it’s important to allow for some flexibility in your detailed plans. Make some backup plans; for example, if you can’t workout in the morning, block out some time when you can do it in the evening or schedule a workout session from home.

It’s also important to forgive yourself if you skip out on a day or if plans get derailed, opting to start over the next day versus throwing away all of your progress.

Include your friends and family

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Lastly, one of the most useful tools you can use for accountability is to share your plans with other people. Having some social support can help you get to your goals more easily and in a more fun way, allowing you to learn from other people.