Are you resolved to stay in shape, lose weight, keep limber or maintain strong bones and muscles? It is so much easier to break a resolution than to stick with the necessary work. You have to make it a habit.

Here is my Growing Older,Living Younger tip for the day. It's how I remember to take my nutritional supplements every day. I have a simple accountability program to help people who forget to take their twice daily supplements but it involves learning how to consolidate a habit.

It's easy to feel motivated to do something but to be consistent and sustained, it must become a habit.  The WWWH technique helps turn an intention into a habit.

I take no prescription medications. Instead I have a comprehensive program of nutritional supplements - multivitamin, mineral, trace-element and plant-based, to support my bone, joint and eye health and overall systemic health. Here's how I ensure that my nutritional supplements keep me healthy and not my cupboard.

I have two boxes with AM and PM compartments for 7 days. Every two weeks I dispense my supplements into the compartments. Too much work you may think. Out of curiosity I timed myself on two occasions. It took me just over 7 minutes to fill the AM and PM compartments for the next two weeks. 

Then comes WWWH to build the habit 
What = the capsules in the AM or PM compartment for the day
When = when I brew my coffee in the morning or before dinner at night
Where = in my kitchen, next to my coffee machine
How = with an 8 oz glass of water

I wrote down my intention: to take the daily AM or PM capsules, with water, in the kitchen, morning and night.
Used a checklist for the first month but since then I have never missed a day.

Few of us are so disciplined that we can build a habit without some sort of crutch or support. Right now I am trying to go for a 30 minutes walk at 6:30 every day since I am not dancing as I was before. Finding the sameness a struggle - I get bored. It's only the WWWH technique that gets me going at the moment. Hopefully after a month it will become a habit.

Lastly I want to sustain my habit of writing every day that I built up while writing about my Decade of Global Dance Cruising.  I reflect on that experience in tomorrow's post