How To Create A Personalized Wellness Routine That Actually Works For You

When it comes to addressing health and well-being goals, I often see people attempt to fix everything at once. They stock up on all the latest books, sign up for a gym membership, and pack enough kale in their crisper drawer to feed a small country.

That motivation lasts for a few days, or maybe even a week or two if inspiration strikes hard. But sooner than later, they get discouraged and abandon their goals.

We overestimate what we can accomplish in a month and underestimate what we can achieve in a year. I love the philosophy behind The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan. "When you want the absolute best chance to succeed at anything you want, your approach should always be the same," they say. "Go small."

"'Going small' is ignoring all the things you could do and doing what you should do," they continue. "It's recognizing that not all things matter equally and finding the things that matter most. It's a tighter way to connect what you do with what you want. It's realizing that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus." 

When you start small and focus on mastering one thing at a time, simple changes become lasting changes. Starting small helps build consistent, healthy habits that sustain you for the long haul. 

Before you create a routine that works for you, get clear about why you're doing it. In other words, determine your big why. This will be your foundation to establish a personalized wellness routine and reach your goals. 

Ask yourself what outcomes you're looking for. Then, get clear about why you want to reach them. I've had clients who initially told me they wanted to balance their blood sugar and lower insulin levels because their doctors were concerned about their bloodwork, or diabetes ran in their family, or they just knew that they wanted to get healthier.

But when I pushed them a little bit, their big why came out. Some of them wanted to maintain steady, sustained energy levels to stay active. Others wanted the sex drive and stamina they had when they were younger.

When you commit to specific goals—things like getting and keeping fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, and hemoglobin A1C levels in a healthy range—your big why will keep you motivated on those days you'd rather blow off your workout or have after-work margaritas with your co-workers.

When I was working on Dr. Phil, we had a guy who couldn't resist the drive-thru on the way to work. Passing by fast-food restaurants was a siren call for him, and he usually submitted.

Turns out that he had two different routes he could take to get to work every morning. One involved fast-food restaurants; the other did not. So we asked him to take the non-restaurant route and listen to personal-development shows on his drive. Guess what happened? He broke his fast-food breakfast habit.

While you're creating new habits, try this simple trick called habit stacking. Pairing a new habit with something you normally do is a great way to start small and master a new habit. 

"Habit stacking works because you eliminate the stress of adding too many new things to your life," says S.J. Scott in Habit Stacking: 127 Small Changes To Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness. "Instead, you begin with a few simple but effective habits and then build on them as this routine becomes an important 'can't miss' part of your day."

I learned the art of habit stacking last year and applied it to my own routine. My goal was to meditate every morning, which as most of us know, is easier to say than do. 

So I created a rule for myself: No coffee until after meditation. When I didn't meditate first thing in the morning, I didn't get coffee. And I am not a happy camper without coffee. The meditation rule became a habit, and I'm proud to say I now meditate every morning. 

Ever get a big idea that you're super passionate about, but then you never really follow through with it? That's where having a like-minded, supportive friend, partner, or community who kindly but firmly holds you to your goals becomes helpful.

Tracking your progress can show you where you're on course and, more importantly, where you may need to adjust and improve. Technology has made measuring and optimizing easier and even more fun. But don't get hung up on fancy apps and gadgets. If maybe you prefer pen and paper, go old school and write everything down.

"You can look back at the whole day and see what might have impacted your choice," says Jade Teta, N.D., in Next-Level Metabolism about tracking your progress. "Was it the four hours of sleep you got the night before? Was it because you didn't get enough protein at breakfast? Was it the high stress or excessive workout you had yesterday?"

As you're carrying out these steps, keep in mind that despite our best intentions, not everything goes according to plan. You may feel on top of the world on the way to the gym, then you trip and sprain your ankle. Or you take a vacation...and so do your healthy habits. If you miss an occasional day of your new routine, it won't make you lose your motivation or progress.