We have all been there: we wake up on New Year’s Day full of hope, excited by new goals and work toward them. This newfound commitment brings hoards of enthusiastic resolutions-ers into salad shop lines, fitness studios, and bookstores for the latest diet books. For a few weeks, it feels great! But after a month or two, we find ourselves losing energy. We become frustrated that we are not making progress and give up.
According to a report in USA Today, the sad reality is that many New Year’s resolutions fail within a few weeks of starting. January 17 is the day most people give up on good intentions and fall back into old habits. By the second week of February, research suggests that 80% of us who make New Year Resolutions end up falling off the wagon completely.
Here’s the good news: If you have already failed, a second opportunity awaits. Now is the time to understand what went wrong and to set a goal that will actually improve your life. Recommit to your 2019 resolution with these tips:
Share Your Resolution with Friends and Family – Many don’t consider their friends and family when making a resolution. For example, If someone wants to go vegan but everyone they know eats a keto diet, that person will always feel their meal is lacking. Plus, friends and family hold you accountable. By saying, “I’m going to start eating vegan” out-loud to someone you respect, you are making a verbal commitment to the new goal.
Use Positive Terminology – There are huge expectations at this time of year that we “must” or “should” make ourselves different. But using the word “should” is associated with shame and guilt. Remember to be kind to yourself. By using positive self talk, we can create encouraging statements like, “I would love to meditate daily”.
Discover the “Why” to Your Resolution – One of the main reasons resolutions fail is that we don’t reflect on the reasons why we have set the resolution in the first place. Using our meditation example, we can add, “I would love to mediate daily to feel refreshed for my family throughout the day.” The greater “why” here being quality family time.
Plan Ahead – Another issue that gets in the way is over- or under-planning. Many spend a lot of time perfecting goals than actively working on them, while others don’t plan enough. In either case, they do not make a plan for how they will actually achieve their goals. For example, if you make a resolution to simply eat healthier, your goal is too vague. If you instead resolve to eat five servings of vegetables per day and use a nutrition app to track your progress, you not only have a clear goal but also a specific direction.
Reward Yourself – Having something to look forward to makes it easier to stick with a resolution when you’re feeling a lack of motivation. Try to break your goal down into milestones you can reach each week. Every time you hit a milestone, treat yourself. You’ll feel rejuvenated as a result of the treat and the small milestones will make progress seem easier.
After you’ve reached one of your goals, a great way to reward yourself is to invest in yourself. You can find new fitness attire to enhance your workout and make it more fun at our New Balance San Antonio locations: The Strand, The Forum, and Quarry Village.
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