Most of us are in planning/reflection mode this time of year, and as 2021 begins, we’re eager to make lasting positive changes in our lives.

Motivation levels are high on January 1st. We’re jazzed to eat better, exercise more, and generally improve our lives. But motivation never lasts. How do we plan accordingly?

By making good behaviors easier.

Take someone who has decided to eat a salad every day. How can they make this happen? Vaguely planning to “eat a salad every day” is unlikely to work (ask me how I know).

A better way to achieve this outcome is to take 10 minutes every Sunday night and make 7 mason jar salads to be eaten at lunch each day for the next week. We tend to eat what’s in our fridge, and if a pre-made salad is staring us in the face, we’re likely to grab it.

So throw some salads together each Sunday. Lay out your exercise clothes the night before. Put a sippy lid on your water bottle.

No grand pronouncements necessary. To change your life, start by making the good behaviors easier.