It’s that time of the year to get caught up in the “self improvement through resolutions” fever. Unfortunately, statistics show us that most of these best laid plans fizzle out by the time February comes around. If or when that happens, we tend to feel like failures and wait until next year to do it all again. Well, I have some thoughts that might help you avoid the plan-big/fail-hard trap.
1. Don’t get carried away. It’s so great to feel motivated to make positive changes, but 365 days are a lot of days. If you resolve on January 1st to wake up at 5 am and work out for an hour every day, you’re probably going to have a hard time making that happen all the way to December 31st. First, your body probably isn’t fit enough to keep that schedule because it’s going to need some extra rest. Secondly, where is the joy in waking up early to try to beat your body into submission?
When setting resolutions (i.e. goals) think big. What physical activities do you want to do when you are 60? Figure out the actions you need to take to get there, looking at little actions that build on themselves. Before you start a new activity, figure out what your motivation is and ask yourself some questions, like does this activity help achieve my long-term goal. Which leads me to my next point.
2. Reevaluate! I encourage you to set a date with yourself, maybe once a month or once every week, and look at your actions over that time. See if the changes you are making really work with your life and if they are really moving you toward your goal. For example, if you want to cook at home every night, are you preparing the menu you need ahead of time and does that menu reflect the actual time and energy you have each evening to cook? If not, how can you make it easier on yourself to meet your goal? Maybe plan for an easy three ingredient stir fry instead of a three course meal on those hectic nights.
3. Be nice! No matter how motivated you are to feel better and meet your goals, you are probably going to have some setbacks. Don’t let this topple you. You are human, and you will make mistakes. Its not a big deal. If you fall off that horse by going a week without doing those actions you planned, show yourself some love and resolve to get back on that horse the next day. Your health is determined by what you prioritize and what you do most of the time; it’s not determined by the slip ups.
4. Tell everybody. Accountability is one of the most important components of making changes, so tell a friend, or a few friends, what you are up to. And if this is your year to make those big, life-altering changes, then shoot me an email and we can set up a free initial health consultation.
Its been a few days since we celebrated the earth making its trip around the sun, but I can already tell I’m going to have a good year. And I know it’s going to be a good year for you, if you let it.
P.S. I’m currently working on posts to help you meet your health goals without breaking the bank. So tell me in the comments what you would like to read about.
Helping you get past all the stuff that is holding you back! 