By Alex Kelly
As we move into February, a lot of us may find that we are drifting away from the goals we set for the New Year. Whether it’s due to time management issues or the difficulty of the resolution, many people set aside their goals and go back to their original behavior. In fact, only 12% of people who made New Year’s resolutions for themselves felt that they were successful. Despite this, there are countless tips and tricks you can incorporate into your routine to set yourself up for success (Quirkology, 2008) . By just doing the three suggestions listed below, you can significantly increase your chances of resolution success!
- Have SMART goals
No, we don’t mean intellectually smart. Generic goals are where many people begin to have issues. SMART goal setting stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. The resolutions “workout more” or “lose weight” are way too broad to be successful. Dive a little bit deeper into what you want and when you want to accomplish it by. For example, instead of saying “I want to lose weight”, say “I want to lose five pounds within the next two months by reducing my daily calorie intake by 200 calories and getting in 30 minutes of exercise four days per week.” These kinds of statements give more specificity and direction toward the goal.
- Plan ahead
Many people go into resolutions with no strategy whatsoever. Because of this, it’s easy to make excuses for not sticking with your goal or trying to do too much in the beginning and causing burnout. Start off with small steps- instead of saying “I’m going to go to the gym six days a week”, maybe start with a more realistic two to three days per week and work your way up. Block out this time in a daily planner so you’re more likely to stick to it. The same goes for any nutritional changes- use a food journal or app to track what you’re eating for the day. Just be sure to track everything accurately!
- Keep yourself accountable
If you are someone who struggles to stick with resolutions by yourself, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help with this problem. Having a family member, friend, or significant other involved or just there for support can help tremendously. Additionally, you can always seek out the advice and expertise of a personal trainer and/or nutritionist. These individuals are trained to help you with whatever goals you have set for yourself. To set up a complimentary consultation with one of our trainers and get the support you need click here.
Following these three tips will help you stick with your resolutions all year long. Just understand that any change you try to make to yourself can be difficult. Whenever you feel that frustration or lack of motivation, take the time to reflect on why you wanted to change in the first place and read through the tricks above again to keep everything moving forward!
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
