It’s that time of year again and we’ve all been there. The time where you set out on a new year, a new you, a new path! You may be hung-over right now, you may be taking down your holiday decorations and you may even be traveling to see family to congratulate each other for living to see the new year happen. All the while you are probably thinking about making New Years Resolutions.
I am positive you’ve made many, many resolutions in your life. And I am positive you’ve ‘broken’ about 90% over the year you made them. It’s so normal that this happens that we all see the pop-culture references about it constantly at this time. We’ll all see our gym overflow with new enthusiastic members and then come March it’ll be back to the usual group. It doesn’t have to be that way and it’s actually really, really easy to keep your resolutions. You just need to know the secret formula.
One part: The Right Motivation. We all have motivation to lose weight, eat right, etc. You need the right motivation. If your major reason for wanting to lose weight, generally made obvious by the fact you want to try a “diet” and not a lifestyle change, is to look good in your swimsuit… then you do not have the right motivation. Superficial motivation built on seeking to have what others have will not give you the fortitude to stick with it. It can be PART of the reason but you will need more.
Factor in: The Right Goal. Obviously your resolution is a fancy term for a 365 day long goal. And that’s a very long term goal, so it’s best to make it reasonable and achievable. Let’s say you want to lose weight, I have been there. You usually make a resolution to the tune of “I will no longer drink beer, eat fries or have any sweets!” and do you know what happens? You fail, usually record fast. Why is that? Simply put, you are focusing restrictions and they are unrealistic. Instead make resolutions on achievements you can DO. For instance “I will try to have a serving of vegetables at every meal” or “I will order water every time we go to a restaurant”. Yes, these sound like small ideals but they will have a bigger impact on your waistline and you’ll be able to keep them easier. They may also influence your choices on other things.
Add a pinch of: Realism. Now you have your goal and a good motivation, What you need is a level head on your expectations. You are not going to drop 10 pounds in a week, or at least you shouldn’t if you are doing it right (and it’s more likely to stay off if you are doing it right). If and when you do lose weight or stop feeling sore at the gym or drink 10 glasses of water a day, etc… you probably won’t see that much change in your looks. This is where the right motivation should kick in.
Finish off with: Measurable Achievements. If your goal is overall health, you will be able to measure these effects easier. Your looks are not measurable and the truth is you’ll probably never be 100% happy with it every day of your life. It’s a fact of living in a looks conscious world and you just need to move past it. Find a sport you want to get good at. Guess what, if your resolution is to be able to run a 5k by the end of the year then you’ll know when you succeed. Then you can bask in the success. You’ll have a clear end line to shoot for and that will help with your motivation. If you want to get back into your high school jeans that’s great too. Let me tell you though, that was my goal for a long time. When I finally got there I wondered why the hell I even wanted to get back into them. At least in the weight goal it’s measurable and you’ll know when you get there. Don’t make a resolution like “I am going to work to get a body like Kim Kardashian” because I have news for you. You are not her, probably not related to her and so will probably never get there without huge plastic surgery bills. A better goal would be “I’m going to build a better me” or maybe even “I’m going to fall in love with my body”. I’ll support that vanity goal, I’ve done it myself.
Those are my tips and I hope they help you make resolutions you can keep and brag about. I’ve made mine, I usually try to keep the list short so I can remember them.
Good Luck in 2016
Living My Crazy Fabulous Life 