January represents a fresh start to the new year, which is why for thousands of years, people have committed to change come January 1st. The new year is a promise of new beginnings but for many, motivation quickly dwindles and resolutions fail. Whether you decided to forgo New Year’s Resolutions on January 1st or are already working on a new goal, there’s never a bad time to adopt healthier habits!

The key is to approach any behavior change with loads of self-love and self-compassion. Many of us try to punish ourselves with more exercise or stricter diets because we’re unhappy with how we look or feel. But how can we expect to make permanent change when we’re living out a punishment? Instead, starting out in a place of self-acceptance, we can decide to make a lifestyle change to support our health and wellbeing.

Here’s how to adopt healthier habits in a loving way:

This is really where you need to start in order to get off on the right foot. It is possible to want to make positive change while still loving and accepting where you are right now. This positive mindset will help you abandon punishing behaviors which often result in extreme measures and unrealistic goals. You can make positive change if that’s what you want, but realize that your worth and value do not go up or down based on the goals you achieve. You’re worthy of a happy and healthy life no matter what. Go in with the mindset that adopting healthier habits can help you live a more vibrant life, and you’ll be happy with whatever changes come your way.

When you’re faced with the challenge of falling into old habits or making a healthier choice, think about future benefits to help you stay on track. Sure, falling into old habits is the path of least resistance, especially when you’re stressed out, busy, or tired. But if you focus on the future, how you’ll feel after this moment if you make a healthier choice, it can help you stay on track.

You know what they say (and by they we mean Albert Einstein), "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." When it comes to reaching new goals or making a wanted change, you need to try something new. How? Identify unhealthy patterns and triggers. Write down steps to help you break these patterns. This is how you create your game plan for change to help you achieve new goals.

In life, things hardly ever go exactly as planned. Be patient and try new strategies until something works! Yes, we live in a society that feeds our desire for instant gratification, but there’s something so rewarding about the slow and steady that wins the race. It takes time to change and adopt healthier habits, so go easy on yourself and expect setbacks. It’s all about progress, not perfection!

Don’t skip this step! It’s important to record your journey towards change to help you stay focused. Along the way, you may learn new things about yourself, develop new skills or discover new passions. Write these things down so that when you lose motivation, you can remind yourself of what you’ve gained throughout this endeavor. Slip-ups will happen, but when they do, you can look back to where you’ve tracked your progress and see how far you’ve come.

While we started with a message of self-love, we’re ending with one too. Celebrating your success is one of the best ways to love yourself and is also a key indicator if you’re approaching your goal from a place of self-acceptance. Give yourself a healthy reward when you’ve achieved a small goal or milestone, or at the very least, take a moment to recognize every small-but-mighty step of progress you’ve made!

While January is a time to start fresh, it’s important to get into the right mindset before attempting change. Starting out from a place of value and self-worth, decide to make a lifestyle change if it will support your overall health and wellbeing. Adopting healthier habits in a loving way means staying the course, tracking progress, and celebrating YOU along the way!

What healthier habits do you want to work on this year?