Chances are, by the time you're reading this most people have given up on their new year's resolution. Yep, depending on who you subscribe to, these "eat healthy/new me" resolutions take on average anywhere from 11 to 18 days to fade away. Why is it that we can't seem to stick to them? Don't worry, you can still accomplish your old goal, or make a new one. Goals aren't subject to only being able to be set one day a year :-)
For many of us, the start of a new year is a moment when we can visualize what we want for ourselves, the possibilities and what it would be like for our hopes to become a reality. So, what makes it so hard for us to connect with those thoughts and actions as the month unfolds? Many people would say real life, and they would be right! For this reason, essential steps such as finding support and celebrating our progress can make all the difference.
Assess your motivation: On a scale of 1-10, how motivated are you to make this change? Is this something that you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life?
Start small: Avoid setting too many goals at the same time. Pick one or two that you can truly focus on rather than becoming overwhelmed. Break large goals into small steps. If you are trying to lose weight, what is the next step to support your goal? This could be anything from packing a lunch, swapping your soda for water or walking on your lunch break.
Write out an action plan and keep it where you can see it daily: Outline the vision that you see and the steps that will get you to that point.
Challenges and setbacks are inevitable and should even be anticipated: Be flexible! Think ahead to possible obstacles – or things that could possibly get in the way of your success. Develop strategies to overcome these challenges and give yourself permission to change your goal rather than completely give up on it! Giving yourself grace to realize that while you may have either failed this meal or this one choice does NOT make you a failure - it just makes you human and you can have a win on the next choice!
Celebrate victories, no matter how small: Did you get through the first week of working out? Great job, now celebrate it! It helps to have these small reinforcements along the journey and starting with more frequent and smart celebrations will help your brain through the tough days. We say "smart" because you have no idea how many times we've had someone tell us "I ate more healthy every day this week so I ordered a pizza and breadsticks to celebrate". This goal directly contradicts your goal and not to mention has your brain associate that 'za is the thing you really want. We have to be mindful of these celebrations!
By focusing these main tips, who knows maybe you'll make it a little while longer than the average person. If you do, be sure to celebrate somehow for making it longer than most! You got this!