When trying to create healthier habits, planning can be the key to unlocking your success.

Without a plan it’s easy to forget or feel like there isn’t enough time in your day. Your goals can also become overwhelming when you don’t have a plan in place because there can be so many options, like deciding when and what physical activity to do, or what meals to make for that day. This feeling of being overwhelmed by options and needing to decide in the moment could result in not doing any physical activity, or even ordering a takeaway!

Whatever your goals are, making a plan is possible:

• Meal planning: Prior to your food shop, decide what meals and snacks you are going to have in the days or weeks before your next food shop. Make a list to ensure you have everything you need. This can help you save some money as well because you will only buy what you need! Using this meal plan you won’t need to make any decisions on the day, as it’s all planned in advance.
• Physical activity: Mapping out the physical activity sessions you want to take part in helps you to identify and prioritise time in your week. Making a plan helps you set the intention and increases the likelihood of doing the physical activity. With the plan you can also then set out your clothes or shoes in advance to help you follow through with your intentions.
• Quit smoking: Planning may look a bit different for this goal. Look ahead and identify any events or situations where you may be more likely to be triggered or influenced to smoke. Plan how you can respond to or manage these situations, so that when they arise you are better prepared to not pick up a cigarette.

Make plans that work for you

Planning is often talked about in the timeframe of a week, but if you can’t plan that far in advance, try planning for a few days at a time instead. Also, if you’re not a morning person, don’t plan to do your physical activity at 5am just because that’s what you see other people doing. Do what works for you and when you feel most motivated. The most important part is making sure you plan in time, to make your plan.

Be flexible

It is also helpful to be flexible. The plan helps you stay accountable to what you want to achieve but sometimes a last-minute change of plans may require flexibility. It might make sense to switch around the meals you had planned for each day, or you might not be able to attend your physical activity session and instead find an alternative on a different day. Having to alter your plan doesn’t mean it didn’t work.

How you make your plan is also up to you. You might find writing it down on a piece of paper and sticking it to your fridge helps remind you. Or if you frequently check the calendar on your phone, writing your plan on there might be more useful to you.

If you want to write out your plan, we have created a simple template for you to use, whatever your goal may be.

And if you are looking for more tips and ideas to help you create healthier lifestyle habits, sign up to the Do it For… campaign to receive two emails a week for the next twelve weeks with bitesize information on a range of healthy lifestyle topics.

If you would like more tailored and targeted 1-1 support, contact our Healthy Lifestyles Team on 01952 382582 or healthylifestyles@telford.gov.uk or by completing the online contact form using the button below.