Humans are creatures of habit: good habits and bad habits alike. The start of the new year is a great time to change habits that have a negative effect on our lives or start new, positive habits.

When you decide to change a habit, think about what it is you want to accomplish. Do you want to stop doing something (smoking, chewing tobacco, overeating, biting your nails, procrastinating) or do you want to start doing something (walking, swimming, cooking healthy meals, organizing your family photos)?

If stopping a bad habit is your goal, you’ll need to spend some time analyzing why you have this habit, and why you want to stop it. Ask yourself these questions (and write down the answers):

When and why did you start this habit?

Why are you still doing it?

What sorts of feelings or events are triggers for this habit?

What benefits do you get from this habit?

What are the drawbacks of this habit?

What are the potential benefits of stopping this habit?

Have you tried to stop before?

If so, why weren’t you successful?

What would help you be successful this time?

How will you know when you have broken the habit and reached your goal?

If you know someone who formerly had this habit and stopped, talk to them about how they did it. They might have some valuable tips that can help.

If starting a new habit is your goal, ask yourself these questions (and write down the answers):

What are all the potential benefits of starting this new habit?

What goals will you reach with this new habit?

Why aren’t you doing this now?

What are the potential roadblocks that may prevent you from doing this habit?

How can you avoid these roadblocks and reach your goals?

Changing habits is hard, and cannot be done unless you are motivated to change. If you are doing something only because someone else wants you to, you are not likely to make long-term changes. You have to truly want to change yourself for any attempt to be effective.

Researchers who study human behavior have learned that it usually takes 21 days for a person to successfully break an old habit or start a new one. So, the first 21 days are the most crucial for your success.

Every morning for those first 21 days, take a minute to review what you have written about your reasons for wanting to change and your goals. Decide how you are going to work on your habit that day.

After 21 days, your new habit will become routine, and you won’t have to think about it as much. It’s a good idea to review your written goals every week, to keep you on track.

Plan to have a bad day every once in a while. If something happens and you revert to your old bad habit or don’t stick to your new one, forgive yourself. Realize that no one is perfect, and resolve to resume your plan the next day.

Be kind to yourself and reward yourself when you stick to your plan. Find rewards that are meaningful to you, such as going on a weekend trip, getting a massage or buying yourself a gift. It’s also important to give yourself positive feedback: look in the mirror and tell yourself you are making positive changes in your life and are closer to your goals every day.

My favorite book about changing behaviors is Bill O’Hanlon’s “Do One Thing Different.” O’Hanlon’s solution-oriented process helps people break free from unhealthy or self-destructive patterns and find new ways of thinking, acting and living.

Kathryn B. Brown is a family nurse practitioner with a master’s degree in nursing from OHSU. Is there a health topic you would like to read about? Send your idea to kbbrown@eastoregonian.com.