It’s no secret that this time of year, the gyms are fuller than usual, walking trails are packed at all times of the day, and grocery stores quickly run out of the more healthy options. Yes, at the start of the year, most people might seem to stick to their New Year’s resolutions, at least for a while. When life starts to get in the way, all those resolutions start to look somewhat unrealistic.
All those resolutions—that might be why people just can’t stick with them. Making too many or too lofty resolutions—losing weight, making more money, traveling more, moving , starting a new job, or any combination and degree of change thereof, might be unrealistic.
So, how can you make and stick to New Year’s resolutions, especially those regarding your health? Well, we’re here to help you make and achieve those goals.
Choose specific and reasonable goals
When you set resolutions, design them to be attainable.. For instance, instead of a resolution to lose weight, specify a number on the scale or a goal of fitting into a pair of old jeans again. Don’t get overwhelmed by having too many goals or ones that are too big..
On a journey to improve your health, you don’t have to make drastic changes designed for ultimate failure. For example, setting a goal to lose 150 pounds in a year, might not be realistic for you. And no weight loss goal is realistic—regardless of the amount —if you don’t fully commit to it.
Hold yourself accountable and remember your “why”
With any goal, holding yourself accountable helps ensure success. Without continued motivation, you might find yourself starting to slip up on those resolutions sooner rather than later.
One method you can hold yourself accountable when keeping your resolution is remembering the reason for your goal or your why. Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to exercise every day? Why do you want to change your diet and lifestyle? Why do you want to use your phone less, read more, etc.?
When you can pinpoint the why for making resolution, then you can work towards making it happen. Having a why bigger than yourself is the best motivation, and if you’ve decided to improve your mental or physical health for your family, then have them join your efforts or ask them to hold you accountable.
Find a workout partner, or ask your family to eat healthier meals withyou. Spend time with friends or your partner after work instead of sitting and scrolling through your phone.. More support means more accountability.
Take baby steps and reward yourself along the way
Big or small, working on your New Year’s resolution might benefit from baby steps. For instance, if your goal is to work out every day but you haven’t been working out at all, then you might not want to start with intense, 2-hour workouts. Instead, aim to move your body every day, such as by taking a walk. Then, you can increase the intensity and length of your workouts to reach your goal.
And don’t forget to reward yourself along the way, too. New Year’s resolutions deserve to be celebrated before you reach your end goal! Making a month of eating vegetables at every meal is a big deal! Reward yourself with a little self-care, a fun outing, or whatever! Rewarding yourself at different intervals on your journey can make your goal that much more worthwhile to achieve.
New Year’s resolutions often have the reputation of never being achieved. But it doesn’t have to be that way! By picking goals that you can achieve, finding the right support and motivation, and setting yourself up for success, you can reach that goal the before the year comes to an end. We believe you can!