What’s in it for me?
Focusing on what behaviors can actually help is an important first step toward a healthier life, Milkman said. That is especially true in a time when science isn’t at its most popular and influencers often share information not backed by research.
You might not know that the research suggests that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest ways of eating, but you heard from an influencer that cutting out carbs and only eating red meat is key to longevity.
If you set a goal of bettering your nutrition but don’t have the information to guide you toward the best path to accomplish it, you might be working against yourself, Milkman said.
You may think you know what you need to do to achieve your health goals and are just struggling with implementing the change, Milkman said. But these upcoming results may help you do an even better job working toward increasing your health and longevity.
Get specific about your goals
Once you have the information about where you can make improvements to your health, the next step is to define your goal, Milkman said.
Most people would say they would like to be healthier, but an effective goal — say one more hour of sleep each night or two sessions of strength training per week — is more specific than that, she added.
If you know you want more balanced nutrition, set a goal with the kinds of food you want to incorporate, and then make a realistic plan that covers how many meals or how many days a week you will build them into your routine, Milkman said.
“Ideally, those goals even include when you will do it, where you will do it, and how you will get there,” she said.
Following through on your plans
A lot of people get tripped up in the follow-through, so using strategies to keep you on track is critical, Milkman said.
In her research, Milkman has found that figuring out a way to make the behavior you’re incorporating instantly gratifying, rewarding and fun helps you look forward to it instead of harboring a sense of dread.
“We often focus too much on those long-term results,” she said.
One method is temptation bundling, in which you pair your goal behavior with an activity you enjoy –– like watching your favorite TV show while you are on the elliptical, Milkman said.
“Now, instead of dreading my workout, there’s a reason to look forward to it,” she said.
Making your goal behavior more social can also help you stick to it, Milkman added. People are more likely to get to the gym at 3 p.m. if they are meeting a friend there and know they will have someone to talk with to stay motivated.
Timing your goal setting with a moment that feels like a “change of chapter” can also be helpful, and those times can include the new year, a birthday or the start of the school year –– whether or not you have kids going to school, Mehr said.
“Those new beginnings tend to be moments when we’re more willing to sort of step back and think big picture,” Milkman said. “It is a fresh-start moment in the fall.”
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