How to stick to your NEW YEARS Resolutions
I have made so many New Years resolutions over the years I have lost count. But unfortunately I can count on one had the number I have actually kept and achieved.
This exact thought is what got me thinking a couple of years ago. Why is it so hard to achieve the resolutions we make on New Years Eve?
Well it is all in the way we make them!
In this post I will let you in on the secret of how to making a new years resolutions stick, so keep reading!
Some of my resolutions in the past sounded something like this:
Lose Weight
Exercise more
Have more of a work life balance
Save money
Travel
First you should know that a New Years resolution is nothing more then a goal. When you make goals you need to make SMART goals.
S - Specific
If we take the “Lose Weight” goal and make it more specific it will change to “Lose Weight by eating healthy and doing more exercise”.
By adding the specifics of HOW you will reach your goal you are inadvertently outlining the process of reaching your goal.
M - Measurable
The importance of measurability is what will keep you motivated. So, for example we will now need to change the simple statement of “Lose Weight” to include the amount you want to loose so that you recognise when you reach your milestone.
So if you weigh 95kgs and are looking at loosing 10kgs your goal now morphs into “Weigh 85kgs by eating healthy and doing more exercise”.
A - Attractive
What will make you stay motivated to reach your goal? Well in the case of weight loss for me it’s shopping. I always feel that the most motivating thing is to update my wardrobe with new cloths that fit better.
Other rewards could also be a night out with my husband going to a theatre show, and Opera or an exhibition.
R - Realistic
This is one of the most important steps! Your goals need to be realistic. If I weigh 95kgs and wanted to lose 25kgs to reach my ideal weight then I need to think realistically as to how long it will take me to reach my goal. Losing 25kg in 12 weeks is unrealistic as it would mean that I’d have to lose about 2.5kgs per week to reach my goal in 12 weeks.
This means that any small success is overshadowed by the fact that you haven’t lost the amount you expected and so unrealistic goals are a lot easier to slip and not be kept.
T - Time-framed
Your goals should always be restrained by time. This fact gives it some type of urgency to keep track of and let you know by when you should reach your desired outcome. I
Our goal now sounds something like this: “Weigh 85kgs by June 2015 by eating healthy and doing more exercise. When I reach my goal I will go shopping for a new base wardrobe”
Finally one last tip to make your goals stick is to enlist your “supporters” to help out. There will be days when you will not feel like eating well or doing exercise so organise an exercise buddy to make sure you get out on those less motivating days.
Make a list of easy to make recipes that your husband can make on days you are not feeling up to it.
But most importantly have fun with your goal setting all year round. Goals are not just for new years resolutions ;)
Vanya