Depending on whom you ask (or what you happen to be reading), it can take anywhere from two weeks to two months to break and replace old habits with new (hopefully better) habits.
In some cases, novelty makes it easier to maintain a relatively new routine. However, that same new routine is easier to disrupt (because of weather or some other distraction).
Part of setting a routine requires a minimum of self-discipline. This means spending certain amount of time working on something. This can be a specific quantity of time per week (__ hours), a specific block of time (Monday and Tuesday, ___a.m.-____a.m.) or getting a certain amount of work done (___ reps or lifts).
At my studio (Weigh Better U), we do what we can to support and encourage people to hold to their best habits and reach their goals. At our facility on Main Street in Everett, we have a built-in buddy system with supportive coaches and instructors who make a point of understanding the client as a person, treating regular check-ins as conversations.
Another way to hold to a routine is to make it a game, or simply collect data. Counting inches lost or gained (from weight loss or muscle gain) can also make a goal seem more real and thus more possible. My studio offers a 3D body scanner, allowing people to get full-body snapshots of themselves as they begin or continue their new and healthier habits.
You are probably reading this after Valentine’s Day and before Easter, two candy-heavy holidays. It will soon be spring.
What were your goals back in January? Losing weight? Gaining muscle? Building endurance? What was your plan to reach that goal? Diet? Weights? Cardio?
I hope that you have been successful with your goals. What have you been doing? How much time have you been spending on it? If you are struggling, do you need specific advice? Are you finding new inspiration? If you have a story to share, let us know.