I think what you're talking about here are "habit-changing" projects.

I put the actions for these on a daily checklist, trying to make them as physical as possible. For example, I, too, have recently tried to give up coffee. I've weaned myself from it slowly. (Used to be at 4-5 cups a day). For my "give up coffee" project, I write on my list:

Schedule time to drink one cup of coffee

(One cup is now my daily limit - I find it helpful to write the task down positively - I schedule my one cup of coffee on my daily agenda so I can look forward to it.)

Instead of "get healthy," I make my project more concrete--e.g., weight < 200.

Then on my daily list I put:

Run

On my home list I put:

Plan healthy meals for next week

Hope this helps!