Anthony’s Note: This is a guest post from Karl Staib, author of Bring Gratitude.

Last summer I was at lunch with a friend. I fell back into an old habit.

My friend went to the bathroom and I did what I always do. I pulled out my phone.

I already had Amazon open and I was flipping through some of the books I was interested in buying. Then I saw the book I wanted was $2 cheaper than last week. Tap and it was on its way. I got my little dopamine rush just before my friend came back to the table.

He sat down and I put my phone down. Just like that, I was $12.76 lighter and a proud owner of a new book. It was a book I wanted, but I have a queue of 6 books waiting for me: 2 on my phone and 4 on my nightstand.

Have you done this before?

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Last year was a milestone for me in eating healthier and keeping up a fitness habit (averaging 3.5 times per week). I’m feeling and looking better than I ever have and would like to share what I’ve learned over the past year in a three-part Healthy Habit series.

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Towards the end of December, I start thinking about what I want to focus on in the new year. Whether it’s through New Year’s resolutions or general goal planning, there are ways to increase your chances of success. I tend to do goal planning throughout the year regardless of the season, but the approach of a New Year is an exciting time to get started on a changes you’d like to see.

Setting goals (in the right way) can make all the difference when it comes to actually following through (and I’m speaking from experience, here).

I know a thing or three about how to make goals that don’t work.

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There are so many how-to resources on losing weight, building muscle, and eating healthier. But the bottom line is, they are all about building habits. Effective habit guidelines and practices can be applied to any area of life.

But while starting a new habit can be simple in theory, many of us know, it’s often difficult in practice—particularly when it comes to keeping them going! Most of us, myself included, have started a new habit with enthusiasm, only to fall off after several days or weeks. But there is a way to build habits successfully over time. It’s not going to be perfect, but it is possible. [Read more…]

In the bustle of life, it’s all too common to brush off the present moment. Let me explain.

When I was younger, I never really knew what I wanted to be. Except for when I was five, I wanted to be a garbage man. [Read more…]