You know that feeling when you set New Year’s Resolutions but by February you feel like you’ve already given up on every single one? In this guide, I am helping you Make your New Year’s Resolutions Stick so you can accomplish EVERYTHING I know you are capable of this year.
We’ve made it, guys! We’ve reached the end of yet another year. I hope it was a good one for you all. And, even more, I hope 2019 is an even better year for all of us. Now, I want to talk about New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure you have your resolutions decided upon and in place. But if you’re like many…those resolutions don’t make it past February….March if you’re lucky! But it doesn’t have to be that way. I will share with you my tips for making sure your New Year’s resolutions stick.
1. Write down your Plans
By writing something down, you are personifying your thoughts, wants, and goals. A study in the British Journal of Health Psychology looked at how exercise is affected by our motivations and habits. Researchers divided the adult subjects into three groups and studied them over a two-week period. The control group simply kept track of their exercise through an informal journal. The motivation group read pamphlets on the benefits of exercise. And the intention group read motivational pamphlets AND formulated a written plan for when and how they would exercise over the course of the upcoming week.
The results? Although less than 40 percent of the subjects in the first two groups actually ended up exercising at least once per week, an amazing 91 percent of the “intention group” exercised at least once per week. Although the study was about exercising, planning and writing down can be beneficial to any goal/objective!
2. Make Realistic and Sustainable Goals:
I know I am always talking about going for it regardless of how ‘’big’’ it might seem…which I am still behind 100%. HOWEVER, I think when starting something new, it is important to keep the goal realistic–at least on a short-term basis. You are more likely to stick to a goal that is small, reasonable, and specific.
For example: Let’s say you work full time 40-50 hours a week, have 3 children, and you haven’t exercised in years… It wouldn’t be realistic for you to make your New Year’s Resolution to go to the gym 5 times a week for 2 hours each day. By going all out, you are putting yourself at risk of getting burnt out real quick and real soon.
It might be a better option for you to start small… let’s say 3 times a week. Of course, you can go more often, but your goal is only 3, which means that if you can only go 3 times you won’t feel like you have ‘’failed’’ and give it all up. Once you start seeing the results, I am sure you will want to increase the number of visits, which is totally fine and encouraged. But, let’s get a little routine first before going BIG!
3. Be resilient
Have you ever seen a toddler who is learning how to walk say, ‘’Nah…I am done with this walking thing! It isn’t for me as I keep on falling.’’?
Probably not! Toddlers are resilient little things and I think we can definitely learn a thing or two from them. Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Of course, I want you to be 100% focused on your new goals, but I also know that life happens…and some days, things might not go exactly how you planned.
That’s completely fine, and it’s also totally normal! If you have a tough day, it’s crucial to remember that you should NOT beat yourself up for it. If you get upset and throw in the towel after one bump in the road, it’s like getting one flat tire and slashing the other three out of frustration! Instead, learn to be RESILIENT! No matter how perfect your plans are, they’ll fall apart every once in a while, so accept that and forgive yourself for it.
Onwards and upwards, my friend!
4. Change begins within you! So, you MUST change any negative mindset you may have.
I have been a coach for quite some time, and one of the things I see with the most frequency is people accepting defeat before they even get started.
‘’Oh, I won’t be able to stick to this’’
‘’I can’t lose weight and I don’t think this is going to work’’
‘’I look horrible and I am going to look stupid exercising’’
Before you get started, it’s important to take a moment and consider the way you speak to yourself. Often, we talk to ourselves very negatively in our daily life. The more you repeat negative comments like this in your mind, the more you start to actually believe them, and the more firmly entrenched you become in that harmful, negative mindset.
We all want to build stronger, faster, fitter versions of ourselves, to improve and to grow…but I guarantee that you’ll see much more positive progress once you change the way you talk about yourself, your body, and your abilities! Plus, remember that you have an audience of little people who watch your every move. So be mindful of what kind of example you want to give: a self-deprecating mama who kicks herself over everything and anything, or an empowered mama who sees something she wants to change, and then goes out and just changes it.
5. Understand that you CAN work smarter, but that doesn’t mean not working at all.
I am all for working smarter and in a more time-efficient manner, but you still have to put in the work. It is important to understand that there are no miracle pills or miracle solutions that will give you the results you are after! Surely, there are things you can do and some supplements you can take to help you with the work you are already putting in… but, they don’t work if you don’t work.
Make your New Year’s Resolutions Stick BONUS TIP
It is also important to know that your habits have to change…. Remember: “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you’ve always gotten’’
I KNOW you can do this, this is YOUR year… and, let’s make sure we make 2019 the best year yet!
Are you ready to make your New Year’s resolutions stick? I know you can do it! You just have to kick your excuses to the curb and believe in yourself too!
Follow me on Instagram @nathaliamelofit for day-to-day life and tough love!
