Building a Habit That Lasts
27/1/2026
Written by Dr Natasha Lazareski - PsyFlex
With every New Year comes a fresh wave of goals and resolutions. “I’m going to exercise more. I’ll lose weight. I’ll quit smoking or vaping.” Most people start with genuine intention, yet research consistently shows that only around 8–10% of people sustain their New Year’s resolutions long-term, with many falling away within the first few weeks. This isn’t because people are lazy or lack willpower. Everyone procrastinates. There’s no magic wand to eliminate it. But we can learn to take action more reliably when something truly matters, by working with how our minds actually operate, rather than fighting them.
If you’re finding it hard to exercise regularly, or to stick with any new habit, this guide is designed to help you do exactly that: work with your mind, not against it.
Step 1: Is This Truly Important?
Let’s start with honesty. Sometimes we procrastinate because something has been sitting on our to-do list for years… and it turns out it’s just not that important. That’s okay. So, pause and ask yourself:
Is this habit genuinely important to me?
Is it a step towards a life I wish to have- something that enriches or improves my life?
If I did this regularly, how would my life be different?
What values would I be living by?
For example, exercising regularly might connect to:
Caring for your health
Having energy for work or family
Feeling strong, capable or confident
Supporting your mental wellbeing
If it’s not truly important, procrastination doesn’t really matter. But if it is important, take a moment to reconnect with why.
Step 2: Do I Actually Have Time?
Many of us are genuinely time-poor. So rather than asking “Why can’t I make myself do it?”, ask: What would I need to give up, or reduce, to make space for this? Are there small, non-essential activities I could cut back on?
Scrolling
Streaming
Extra emails
Busywork
A powerful strategy is scheduling:
Put exercise (or your chosen habit) in your calendar
Treat it like an appointment - not a vague intention
Start with realistic time slots, not ideal ones
Step 3: What’s Getting in the Way?
Lasting change starts with awareness. What is the habit you want to build?
Regular walking
Strength training twice a week
Stretching each morning
What’s feeding your avoidance? What are you doing currently?
Scrolling on your phone
Watching TV
Helping everyone else
Over-planning without acting
What thoughts and feelings pull you away from doing what matters to you?
“I’m too tired”
“I’ll start next week”
“There’s no point unless I do it properly”
Discomfort, boredom, self-doubt, fatigue
If you’re having these thoughts and feelings, you’re not broken - you’re human. In fact, almost everyone has the same self-talk and emotional reactions. Your mind is a survival machine. Its job is to warn you about mistakes, protect you from failure and spare you discomfort or embarrassment.
So, when you think about going to the gym, your mind jumps in: “Don’t go yet. Maybe tomorrow.” It’s trying to protect you from feeling less-than or from getting hurt. That’s normal.
The key insight is this: you don’t need to obey your thoughts or get rid of them to take action. You can notice them as thoughts and feelings, like clouds passing through the sky, and still move your body, step forward, and do what matters.
Each small action you take in the direction of the life you want weakens your mind’s grip and strengthens your freedom. Over time, you become less controlled by fear and more guided by what truly matters to you.
Step 4: Tiny Steps Beat Big Plans (Little Nibbles Matter)
The bigger the task feels, the more our mind avoids it. So make it smaller. Much smaller than you think it should be. Ask yourself: What is the smallest, simplest step I could take? Examples:
Walk for 5 - 10 minutes
Go to the gym and just stretch
Put on workout clothes
Do one set of one exercise
You don’t have to exercise for an hour. You don’t have to “do it properly.” You don’t have to finish in one go. You build habits by nibbling, not forcing.
Step 5: Starting is hard. Keeping going is harder.
Continue by reading: The 7 Rs of Building Habits That Last
