People are creatures of habit, and many of those behaviours we wish we didn't partake in, whatever they may be, were wired into our brains over time through repetition.  It is no wonder that good intentions aren't enough to break the cycle and we find ourselves making choices that aren't always in our best interest, even when we know better.  But just like you picked up these habits over time, you can replace them over time too.

The key to success is to start small and stay focused.  There is no change over night here, this is a lifestyle.  Take time to process everything, let it sink in, and adapt it to your needs.  Look at what you are doing now vs. your ideal, over and over again, taking a small step further towards your ideal each time.

You might be eager to get the process started and over with, thinking that taking on more while you are in good spirits will lead to bigger improvements in your life and, while I applaud your enthusiasm, it just doesn't work that way.  The truth is that the more we take on at once, the harder it is to maintain and the bigger the disappointment failure becomes.  You might find some success, but you probably won't find it sustainable.  It takes four to six weeks for a new habit to take hold in your brain and become routine.  So, by taking it slow, you are giving your brain time to adjust to your new routine.

You might be eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich on white bread today, eating it on whole wheat tomorrow, having a sandwich with greens and sprouts in a few months and eating a salad next year. Things don’t have to be immediate to be progressive, but they have to happen naturally to really stick. Altering habits, bit by bit, one by one, is a great way to accumulate strides towards better health.