Are New Year’s resolutions just a recipe for failure?
If you want to fail, start your resolution on the first day of the year. We’ve all been there. After choosing our resolution, we hit the ground running for a couple of weeks and then the motivation just… STOPS.
The time to begin thinking or acting differently can NOT happen overnight. You have to prime yourself for this slowly and steadily. You have to give yourself the chance to feel the difference of your new actions over a period of at least 3 weeks before you can commit to doing this activity on a regular basis. You need that time to let it all soak in, to let your mind and your body absorb what is going on on a daily basis to get that motivation for your resolution to be actually authentic and achievable.
Here are 5 tips to get started:
1) Begin your new action well before your commitment date. If it was January 1st, then you should have started over Christmas. Missed that date? No worries! You can start anytime. Your new resolution can begin a couple of weeks from now or a month from now.
2) Start slow. If you want to get a 30 minute workout in everyday, start with just getting dressed to do the workout. Sounds pointless? Trust me, the toughest part of getting a work out in is to get over the procrastination.
3) Know your why. What is the point of your future resolution? To get in shape is NOT a reason. Doing regular exercise to have more energy and tackle stress, that IS a reason.
4) Keep track of your progress. Every single day, you should have goals written down somewhere. On a calendar, it can be a couple of words- Ex. OUTSIDE or GO FOR WALK. Or you write out your goals in more detail in a planner. Do whatever suits you. When you achieve that goal, simply put a check mark on it or give yourself a sticker. This is an important VISUAL reminder of what you did previously that will motivate you for TODAY.
5) Tune in to your body. Something will start to happen physiologically once you begin and stick with your new action. Whether it was to connect with a friend once a day, whether it was to skip a meal or a snack, or to go for a daily walk, your body will start noticing and will ASK for it. You’ll feel the NEED to do this action without even thinking about it.
Your next steps:
- Choose your new action.
- Write down your daily goal.
- Begin your new action right away.
- Track your progress in an EASY and efficient way. Make sure it is VISUAL.
- Begin your actual resolution after 21 days. At that point, your new habit will be good to go and you will NOT lose the game!