You might adopt a diet to lose weight, a workout regimen to get fitter, a writing routine to finish your novel.

But you’ll never attain anything meaningful if your pursuits end after you reach the finish line.

It’s not about reaching your weight goal. It’s about staying there. No point aiming for riches if you’re just going to squander it all the very next day.

Seeking improvement requires ditching the habits that are holding us back. So it makes no sense to return to past habits once you reach your goals.

That means changing your eating habits for a lifetime. Not retiring from your passions. Adopting that new habit f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Don’t look at me like that. It’s not as dramatic as I’m making it seem.

Plus, the good news is that instead of going full-out keto or vegan, you can take it slow. Perhaps you could ditch the fizzy drinks. Or that daily doughnut. That’s not too much to ask. Which improves your chances of building a new life habit.

From now on, before you do something in the name of self-improvement, ask yourself: Will I be able to do this tomorrow? And the day after that? Forever and ever? Amen?

Because you won’t make significant progress through a one-month detox, the same way you won’t turn into an author just by participating in NaNo.