How can we make this year more successful than previous years?
As a New Year commences we find ourselves dreaming again of a better version of ourselves. We reflect on our past years behaviour and promise ourselves to make positive life changes and set about making a brand new list of resolutions for the coming year. The problem with resolutions is that majority, if not all resolutions, are broken in a matter of weeks or days.
It is not as hard as we imagined. If you spend some time reevaluating the way you make your resolutions and follow these handy hints below, we promise this will be the year they last!
1. Keep your resolutions simple
If you find yourself aiming to overhaul your entire lifestyle you will most likely be disappointed. Most things cannot be achieved all at once. The best approach is to pick one or two things and focus solely on them. Choosing one or two goals that can be broken into more manageable tasks will make your goals seem less intimidating from the outset and much more achievable.
2. Make a plan early and stick to it
Individuals with impulsive resolutions are less likely to stick to them. Pick what is important to you and make a plan to deal with any problems and setbacks that you may come across along the way. If you start working towards a goal without any plan in place you might quickly find yourself giving up any time you face difficulty.
Write your goal down, how you are going to achieve that goal and identifying any obstacles that might stand in your way.
3. Small Steps
The main reason resolutions fail is due to people taking on too much at once. For example, if want to challenge yourself to lose 5kg by July start by looking at your daily routine. Take the steps to figure out how many calories you are eating per day and what your total energy output is. Are you currently exercising? Will you increase your exercise expenditure? Will you reduce your calories? Should you hire a health professional to assist you in reaching your goal? Breaking your goal up into smaller steps and seeking help when needed will ultimately lead to the larger goal being a success and will make it easier to stick to new habits.
Unhealthy behaviours develop over time and to replace them with healthy ones requires time so don’t overwhelm yourself.
4. Track yourself
Track your progress whether it be through an app on your phone, photos or something as simple as a chart on your fridge, the more you monitor yourself and see how far you’ve come the more likely you are to succeed. The feedback is satisfying and can be used to motivate yourself further.
5. Talk about it
Telling other people you are going to do something increases your commitment. Be sure to share your experiences with family and friends or join a support group of like minded people who will help you to reach your goal. If you want to get fit, join a gym. If you want to quit smoking do it with someone at work. Having people to share what you are going through makes everything a whole lot easier and the journey seem less intimidating.
6. Don’t beat yourself up about it
Having a positive attitude will give you more energy to pursue your goals and if you believe you can succeed you are more likely to do so. It is important to praise yourself when you make small steps towards your goal, however more importantly to not punish yourself or become too critical if you don’t. If you do take a step back be sure to forgive yourself and immediately get back up and start again.
7. Stick with it
It takes 30 days for a change in a behaviour to become a habit and 6 months for a habit to become a natural part of your personality and day-to-day life so keep at it! If you don’t succeed at first don’t be discouraged. Try again! This doesn’t have to be an excuse to stop. The path towards your goal is not a straight one there are always going to be challenges. View these challenges as learning opportunities along the way and keep going.
8. You have the power
Only you can make the commitment to change your life. People around you can advise and support you, however its your actions alone that need to change in order for things to happen. Take responsibility for your future and you will achieve great things.
So what are you waiting for!!
By taking all of the above on board you will be in a greater position to improve your life and make steps towards achieving those all important resolutions. You’r happiness is worth it! We wish you all the luck in the world and make sure you keep an eye out for our next blog. It might just be the kick start you need to making this year the year you stick to your New Years Resolution.
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