Autumn's right around the corner. It's the time of year when many people undergo transition in their personal or professional lives: parents become empty nesters when their children move away for college; young adults learn to live on their own for the first time; people change jobs or go back to school.

What's more, the memories of summer — full of holidays, travel and departure from routine — can also make it difficult for us to get back into a healthy regimen. We may have the best intentions when it comes to working out, eating better or taking vitamins, but have a hard time following through.

How can we build and stick to healthy habits?

Remove obstacles

Let's say you've made it your goal to take a multivitamin every day. By the time you remember, you're already running late and don't feel like going to the cabinet, taking the bottle out, shaking out a pill, grabbing a glass of water... the list is endless and you take the path of least resistance, which is to forget about it.

Make it easy for yourself and remove the resistance! Keep your vitamins in a place that you already access every day, like your bathroom counter. We like to combine our vitamin-taking time with brushing our teeth in the morning and at night so it's hard to forget. Some people take their vitamins after breakfast. Combine it with another habit that you already have and it will become infinitely easier to follow.

Using a pill case to measure out our vitamins for the week is also a time saver. It's not terribly chic but it works!

Practice first, perfect later

Many people give up once they fail. Falling off your diet bandwagon in the morning doesn't mean that you should just give up and eat junk food the rest of the day because your diet wasn't perfect. The same principle applies to any habit, including taking vitamins.

It's true that many vitamins are better when taken together, taken apart, with a meal, at night or first thing in the morning. Ultimately, taking vitamins is better than not taking vitamins. Nail down the habit first before you try to perfect it. Instead of focusing on the failures of your past, focus on your commitment to the goal and try, try again.

Less is more

Lack of time is the most common excuse for not building or sticking to new habits. But are you really as busy as your schedule might suggest? Culling your to-do list to the essentials can help you focus better and get more done. 

Studies have shown that people who have solid chunks of time to focus quietly on tasks perform better and are more productive than those who multi-task. Striking a few items off your to-do list can free you up to engage fully in your most important tasks — like building healthy new habits.