THE RESOLUTION CONUNDRUM
It's 2017 and we're all looking to leave our bad habits in the past. "New year, new me" right? Most of us have made lofty goals for ourselves, but now that it's January, we have to face them. Sure, losing 20 pounds, spending more quality time with loved ones, and reading more all look great on paper. But how do we actually accomplish these things? They originally fell to the side because of our other priorities and we're still just as busy with just as much time in the day... The only difference is now there's more to do.
1. Set numerous, small goals for yourself. Instead of going from fast food every day to raw vegan, try incremental changes. Read just 5 minutes a day for the first week rather than tackling a whole novel in a day. Small steps build up to a larger accomplishment without overwhelming you. By slowly introducing a new habit into your life, you allow yourself to acclimate. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. As an added bonus, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment every time you reach one of your smaller goals. This will keep pushing you forward. Setting one large goal is often discouraging because any progress made often feels insignificant compared to what you want to achieve.
2. Make sure your goals are measurable. This is crucial to accomplishing your goals. If your goals aren't measurable, you won't know how much progress you're making. For example, instead of resolving to lose weight, opt for losing ___ pounds by ____ date. By setting a measurable goal, you can monitor your progress and adjust your routine as needed.
3. Find a support community. This can be your significant other, your family, friends, or a social media group. Whatever it looks like to you, find it and stick with it. Share your small, measurable goals with these people and ask them to help you on your journey. These people are so important to your success because they will help motivate you, keeping you on track with your goals.
4. Make a vision board. This is a personal favorite of mine. Look through magazines and any other resources you have around, clip pictures, and place them on the board. If your goal is to lose weight, try finding pictures of what you'd do if you lost the weight. Maybe a picture of the beach because you'd want to take a vacation and show off your new body? Or maybe write down a phrase you find particularly motivating. However, stay away from pictures that elicit a negative reaction. For example, don't post an impossible-to-obtain heavily photo-shopped picture that will make you feel bad about yourself. This will help you envision yourself accomplishing your goals and should be a celebration of what you envision for yourself!
5. Give yourself a break! Even the best of us have bad days. Learn to rest when you're tired! Learning to rest will allow you to pick back up and keep moving forward instead of exhausting yourself and ultimately quitting. No matter your goal, remember that your mental health comes first.
These 5 simple tactics can tame the beast that is your new years resolution. Even if you've already fallen of the bandwagon, give it another try. We've got 51 weeks left of 2017! I don't know about you, but I certainly want to make the best of them. Cheers to a new year, a new me, and a new you.