Willpower

It's not always easy to stick to our good intentions - going to yoga class, resisting a cake or making the effort to catch up with friends. It turns out we all have a finite amount of mental energy, which is drained as the day wears on. Your mental reserves are topped up during sleep, so you are more likely to get your most difficult tasks done in the morning. But working with the ebb and flow of your mental energy and using your natural ability to make new habits will help you reduce stress, make better decisions and make habits you aspire to (such as exercising after work) become second nature.

6 Step Plan

• Have a clear, specific goal in mind.
• Think about when, where and how you will perform your habit. To make something automatic, create an association between the situation and the habit by doing it in exactly the same context each time.
• Start small - ambitious failure is not a good strategy. 
• Be specific about what your ritual will be and write it down. If you plan to go to the gym, write down exactly which exercises you'll do, how long for, and in what order. That way you won't arrive, walk around wondering what to do and only stay for as long as it takes to avoid embarrassment before leaving.
• Monitor your progress by keeping a chart or diary and marking each day you preform a habit. People who give themselves a tick each day they were successful lost more weight, and were more likely to resume their weight loss programme after slipping.
• Repitition is key but don't worry if you miss a day. People who are inconsistent generally don't manage to form habits, but missing just one day has no real impact.

How to keep going

• Argue with yourself in advance. Think of any excuses you might come up with and write down a counter argument.
• Be wary of using a time as a cue for a habit. Use something you do at a regular time, such as a meal, so you won't need to clock watch.
• To break a bad habit turn it into a good one. Banish the unhealthy 11am snack and replace it with a healthy one.
• The best time to start new habits and break old ones is when your circumstances change. For example, just after you've moved home or changed jobs, all your old habits will be in flux, so it's a great time to change your lifestyle for the better.

Good Housekeeping magazine, September 2013