At its basic and most fundamental level, changing your life comes down to adopting new habits. Habits are the systemization of choices, leading to new rhythm and flow to your life. So change begins with a commitment to do things differently, and then a plan for how you’ll actually do it in real time.

Here are some helpful tips:

• Start Small. Big change doesn’t need to happen overnight. Choose one small habit to implement now.
• Reflect on why you want to create the new habit. What would it do for you? What is your true motivation?
• Get specific. If you’re not crystal clear on your what, it will likely never become habit. Make a plan for exactly what you will do, when, and where.
• Accountability. Write it down. Writing creates an internal contract. If reminders on sticky notes or your phone are helpful, do it.
• Stack it up! Attaching the new habit to a current one is very effective. Atomic Habits author, James Clear, calls this “habit stacking”.