As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, many of us enthusiastically set resolutions for the coming year. However, as weeks pass, motivation can wane, and resolutions often fall by the wayside. How are yours looking?
If you're determined to make the goals you set for yourself stick this year, follow these 10 practical tips to stay committed and turn your resolutions into lasting habits.
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1. Set Realistic Resolutions & Goals:
Start by setting achievable, realistic goals. Unrealistic resolutions can lead to frustration and abandonment.
Have you heard of SMART goals? This stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Defining these parameters as they pertain to your goal helps ensure that your objectives are attainable within a certain timeframe. I recommend using a workbook, such as The Workbook for SMART Goals.
With myself and my clients, I break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps, making it easier to track progress and stay motivated.
It's easy to get discouraged when you just look at the end goal.
For example, say you have a goal to lose fat.
You're currently at 40% body fat and you want to get down to 25%. Instead of keeping your eyes focused on the number 25, try making smaller, shorter-term goals. A good first goal to set your sights on would be to get down to 35% body fat.
Then reevaluate and set a new smaller goal. It feels much more manageable when you approach it that way.
2. Prioritize and Focus:
It's tempting to want to change multiple aspects of your life at once, but spreading yourself too thin can lead to burnout. Prioritize your resolutions and focus on one or two key areas initially. Once these become ingrained habits, you can gradually introduce others.
For example, say you want to decrease your blood pressure, start journaling, and also learn guitar. Instead of trying to do all these things at once, prioritize. If lowering your blood pressure is the most important thing right now, focus on that. Once you have achieved a healthy blood pressure level, you can now move on to starting guitar lessons or focusing on that journal.
An exception, of course, would be if you have goals that work together.
For example, in the case above, if your blood pressure is high because of stress, then starting a journal to help relieve stress, along with other measures, can synergistically help your goal of decreasing blood pressure.
3. Create a Clear Plan:
Develop a detailed plan outlining the steps needed to achieve your resolutions. Whether it's a weekly schedule, a to-do list, or a progress tracker, having a concrete plan helps keep you accountable and provides a roadmap for success. Make sure to reward yourself along the way for little wins! I like to have something tangible to keep me on track step-by-step. I found this Self Care & Goal Tracking notebook on Amazon that's great. It even includes reflection pages and positive affirmations to keep you in a good place mentally.
4. Find an Accountability Partner:
Share your resolutions with a friend, family member, or coach/trainer who can offer support and encouragement. Having an accountability partner creates a sense of responsibility and makes the journey more enjoyable.
5. Celebrate Goal Milestones:
Don't forget to celebrate your achievements along the way! Recognizing and rewarding yourself for reaching milestones, no matter how small, reinforces positive behavior and motivates you to continue. Referring back to the above example on body fat, when you get to the first milestone goal of 35% body fat, do something to celebrate or reward yourself. Go ahead and get yourself those new shoes you've been eyeing, or a new workout outfit. It can be surprisingly motivating!
6. Stay Flexible:
Hey.. life is unpredictable, and setbacks are inevitable. Be flexible in your approach and learn to adapt to unexpected challenges. Instead of viewing obstacles as failures, see them as opportunities to learn and grow.
A few months ago, I had just started a new strength program I was excited about. After the first week, I ended up getting Shingles and it derailed me. What did I learn from Shingles? Well, I realized I needed to reduce my stress levels by cutting down on some extracurricular commitments. Once I was over the Shingles, I regrouped and decided to start the program over, and that's perfectly okay. I also took away the lesson of having better balance in my busy schedule.
7. Establish a Routine:
Incorporate your resolutions into your daily or weekly routine. Consistency is key when forming new habits. By making your resolutions a regular part of your schedule, they become ingrained in your lifestyle.
For example, if you resolved to start journaling this year, you need to make it a consistent habit by making it part of your daily or weekly routine. Maybe you want to journal every night before you get in bed, or perhaps it works better for you to journal once a week on Sundays. Whatever it looks like for you, consistency is key.
8. Visualize Success:
Envision yourself achieving your goals. Visualization can be a powerful tool in maintaining motivation. Imagine the positive impact of sticking to your resolutions and let that drive your determination.
When you reach your goal, what will that look like for you? How will it make you feel? Visualization is simply seeing what your success looks like for you. You've lost the excess body fat. You've reduced your blood pressure. You've accomplished the thing you've been working towards... and it feels... ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
9. Seek Professional Guidance:
If your resolutions involve significant lifestyle changes, consider seeking guidance from professionals. Whether it's a physician, personal trainer, dietitian, or life coach, experts can provide valuable advice and help you stay on track.
As a personal trainer, I've helped many clients stick to their resolutions/goals. If your goal is related to health and fitness, feel free to contact me. I offer complimentary virtual consultations and personalized, comprehensive programs that can get you to the success you are reaching for.
10. Learn from Setbacks:
Accept that setbacks are a natural part of the process. Instead of dwelling on failures, analyze what went wrong and use it as an opportunity to learn and adjust your approach moving forward.
For example, if you resolve to cut out sweets, and you gave in to that piece of birthday cake at your niece's wedding and that led to a whole weekend of being off the wagon, all is not lost. Use it as an opportunity to learn from how that happened and adjust your approach moving forward. Maybe you were hungry or didn't have a healthy sweets alternative. Now you know not to put yourself in that position in the future.
A setback doesn't mean failure. It's only a failure if you let it be. Come Monday, you can kick those sweets back to the curb and get right back on the no-sweets wagon and be better prepared.
Give yourself some grace. You are human!
Sticking to your New Year's resolutions requires commitment, planning, and perseverance. By setting realistic goals, creating a clear plan, and staying flexible, you can turn your resolutions into lasting habits.
Remember to celebrate your successes, seek support when needed, and learn from setbacks. This year, make a resolution not just for change, but for lasting transformation.
Stay active, stay healthy, and stay young at heart!
Mary