Sticking to New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Eve is less than two weeks away and people are thinking about their potential New Year’s resolutions. A common resolution for many people is to lose weight, go to the gym regularly, or to generally become healthier. Often times, people make these resolutions without formulating a plan to attain them, which may cause some people to lose track of their goals. If your goal is to start living a healthier lifestyle, it is entirely possible. Here are some tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions and achieve your goals. You can do it!

 

  1. Figure out your specific desired goals. When making a resolution, make sure you know exactly what you want to achieve. Are you looking to lose weight? Do you want to build muscle? Do you just want to eat healthier and/or start exercising to benefit your health? Think about the reasons why you want these as your goals. Decide exactly what you want and write it down on a piece of paper. It can be helpful to place your written goals somewhere that you will see them frequently. For example, if you are trying to eat healthier, tape your goal to your refrigerator. That way, before you open the fridge, you will be reminded of your goals and will be more likely to choose something healthy.

  1. Make a plan. List steps that you will take in order to achieve your goals. If your goal is to start exercising more often, think about what you would need to do so. You would need a gym membership or exercise equipment at home, workout clothes, sneakers, a new playlist, etc. But an extremely important part is scheduling when you will exercise. You could make a goal to work out at least three times a week. Setting short-term goals will help you achieve your long-term goal as well.

  1. Set a time frame. If your goal is to lose weight, it might be for a specific occasion or time of year. Many people want to lose weight and get fit for summertime. If this is your goal, make your plan in a timely manner. Set goals for specific dates. Not only will this keep you on track long-term, but it will also help you monitor your progress along your journey.

  1. Get to it! Get started as soon as possible. If you wait a while to begin, you might lose motivation. Obtain any materials you need to achieve your goals and start working toward them immediately. Talk to friends or family members to see if they want to join you in your journey. Living a healthy lifestyle is always easier with others and it’s a great support system to have. It never hurts to have a workout buddy or someone to cook healthy meals with!

  1. Reward yourself along the way. Setting short-term goals provides the opportunity to reward yourself frequently, which will help keep you on track. If your goal is to stick to a certain calorie intake each day and after a week you did so successfully, treat yourself to something you’ve wanted, such as going shopping. I don’t recommend using unhealthy food as a reward, since it is counterproductive (I do support the idea of a treat meal every week, however). Regardless, rewarding yourself for achieving short-term goals will help keep you motivated and reassure you that you are capable of completing your resolutions.

  1. Don’t be upset if you slip up; just get right back on track! It might be uncomfortable to start living a healthier lifestyle at first, especially if you never have before. Slip-ups can and will likely happen. The most important aspect of achieving your goals is to not give up, no matter what. If you overindulge one day, you did not ruin your progress. What will ruin your progress is stopping entirely. You can always get back on track immediately and continue seeing results. Never give up; you can do this!