Here are 5 Ways Habits Are Better Than Goals

Everything you read tells you to set goals, but I am telling you, there is a better way!!!

5 Ways Habits Are Better Than Goals

Have you ever set a goal to do something for 30 days, and then when the 30 days were up, you didn’t really know what to do because you were finished? So you just let things start sliding back to how they were.

Or you set a goal, and something came up – maybe an injury, a party, or a vacation. You didn’t know how to maneuver around this obstacle, so you paused the goal or didn’t complete it.

Goals sound good, but in reality, they can work against you in terms of creating sustainable change.

I used to set weight loss goals, exercise goals, goals for cutting out certain foods, and more goals. This worked for very short-term things, such as a race, a wedding, or a vacation.

But as life got busier, the thought of starting a strict diet or doing something short-term became more overwhelming and horrible-sounding.

I found myself not happy with the way things were but wanting to avoid taking drastic action to reach another short-term goal.

This was when I discovered this fantastic secret….HABITS!!

By switching my focus from achieving specific goals to creating positive long-term habits, I improved continuously in many areas of life.

Here are 5 Ways Habits Are Better Than Goals

• Habits are easier to complete. When you set a habit of eating a veggie at each meal, you can do it. You can do it again and again, and when you do, amazing things happen!
• Goals suggest that you can control things that you have no control over. Every time we set a goal, we try to do it. We try to plan out where we will be and when we will make it there. We try to predict how quickly we can progress, even though we have no idea what circumstances or situations will arise. Then, when things come up, they derail us from the goal. Habits can happen through life’s crazy events.
• Goals are temporary, and habits are the long haul. When you set a goal and complete it, you find it easy to return to your old ways because you are “done.” When you focus on habits, there is no end time.
• Goals rely on willpower and self-discipline, while habits become automatic and save you time and energy. Who doesn’t need more time and energy!?
• Goals reduce your current happiness. When you’re working toward a goal, essentially saying, “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be when I reach my goal.” When you enter the process, you can enjoy life while making the changes you want!
• If you find that your goals are not working anymore, you will find that habits are the way to go!

Credit: Ali Hivley, Fitness Instructor