This is the time of year notorious for setting new year’s resolutions. It makes sense because when is a better time to set new goals than at the beginning of a new year?! However we all know the problem is that often times we start out passionate and excited about our new year’s resolutions then by spring break, we’ve “fallen off the wagon”. We’ve all been to crowded gym in January only to find it empty in March.
How do we prevent falling into the same pitfalls every year? How do we set resolutions for ourselves and stick to them? Here are 4 tips for setting and sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions:
•Start small! Often times, in a moment of excitement and motivation we will set really high goals, then when we have a rough day or rough week, that really high goal begins to feel impossible so we give up. We need to start with small goals. It’s like that old adage “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” If you’ve never worked out a day in your life maybe don’t set a goal of working out an hour every day, rather say you will be active at least 3 times a week. Maybe you don’t go “cold turkey” to clean up your diet, instead go “warm turkey” by taking out one thing at a time. Whatever your goals are, start small, take it one step at a time and you’re more likely to see success.
•Make it tangible & measurable! Avoid vague and abstract goals; if we can’t measure them we can’t know we’ve achieved them. Goals need to be written with specific action steps (tangible) as well as how much and/or how often (measurable) those steps need to be taken to achieve the goal. This allows us to track our progress by reviewing the week and to if we accomplished the goal. Rather than saying “I want to improve my relationship with my spouse/child/parent”, we can say “I want to spend 10-15 mins daily, talking to my spouse/child/parent, without distractions.”
•Stay the course! Many of us start out with the best of intentions but as soon as we mess up or miss a goal we throw in the towel. How many goals have we missed out on simply because we gave up when it got difficult? Conversely, how many goals have we achieved by gutting it out one day at a time? The longer we fight for our goals, the more likely we are to achieve them. It’s ok if the road looks a little different getting there or if it takes a little longer, the point is to get there. If you don’t follow your diet at lunch that doesn’t mean you give up on dinner too! Take it one meal at a time, one day at a time or even, one moment at a time.
•Celebrate your successes! We need to recognize our positive progress and celebrate it rather downplay it. The more we focus on the positive the more likely we will have positive outcomes. This is especially helpful on those days when we are lacking the motivation and energy to keep going. Rather than looking ahead at how far there is still to go, look back and smile at how far you’ve come. You just might find that little boost of energy you need to get moving again.
If you’re reading this saying “yeah that all sounds great and good but I just don’t have it in me right now” then that’s fine too. No one says you have to set resolutions at the beginning of the year. In fact, the middle of winter is an especially difficult time to do so because it’s dark and cold and we’re still recouping from all of the holiday festivities. The beauty is that you can start your goals any time of the year, just make sure you do it so you don’t look back later and wonder what might have been.
