Did you make a resolution for this year? Mine was to focus on 1-2 things, do them well, do them consistently and keep it simple as I tend to over complicate things. As I know myself well, I have solicited close friends to keep me accountable and bounce things off of.
More scary than fun fact, I recently heard that most people give up on pursuing their resolutions by January 12. Yikes! But, that’s not you! Your determination to not be content with the status quo any longer will serve you well in continuing to pursue your goals even when life gets sticky!
Here are some tips to help you stick to your goals this year:
1. Make a resolution or goal that is attainable and realistic.(also don’t make too many at once!).
2. Write it down on an index card or somewhere you can see it everyday, such as the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. A photo along with it will give it even more power and motivation as you can SEE the end result and reward of your efforts. You may even consider creating a vision board using something as simple as plain poster board and cutting out photos and saying in magazines. I have two vision boards, one personal and one for my business. When I need a reminder of how amazing my future is, I look at my boards and am inspired again to keep moving forward.
3. Take time to reflect on WHY you want picked that goal, write the reason down to keep you motivated when life gets tough. Like this is a deep, deep reason why which reflects your core values and what is meaningful to you.
4. Write down the first step you’re going to take towards that goal, just one small step! Once you have that down, then set one more small step to build on. (“Habit stacking”) Do not get into the common trap of wanting to go gang busters and take too many steps at once. Some common scenarios are to change your diet right away and also start exercising. This is too taxing on the “willpower” part of your brain. Yes, that’s an actual thing. That area, called the singular anterior cortex, gets drained quite easily which sets you up for what you think as failure when you cannot keep up all the new changes.
5. Have a process written down with details on how and when you’re going to do the step and commit to the process. What recipe are you going to make for which night of the week? What day will you make the grocery list and go to the grocery store? What day will you have time to do meal prep?
6. Share your plan and have someone keep you accountable!
Example: “I want to eat healthier this year”. (Realistic/attainable but too general, it needs specific steps to make it happen)
What’s one small step you can make towards that goal?
Start simply. For example, you could add a vegetable to dinner 2 times a week.
Process: Pick which vegetable(s) you want to have this week. How are you going to fix it? Commit to setting a day to go grocery shopping, knowing how you’re going to add that vegetable to what meals/on what nights, then have someone keep you accountable to doing it or put it in your calendar.
Do this until it becomes natural for you then add one more small goal to add to it such as increase your water intake to at least 48 oz of water each day or swap out a soda for a bottle of water.
You’ll be rockin’ along in no time! Keeping things small but also detailed in how you’re going to walk the goal out is key. along with accountability. What’s the one simple change you’re going to make this month? Comment below and Inspire us!
Lori is a Nutrition & Dietetic Technician Registered and Certified Health Coach who specializes in helping men and women reach their health goals by helping them incorporate small but manageable steps towards habit change, including incorporating healthy foods into their diet along with discovering physical activity they enjoy. This leads to a lifestyle that they truly love to live, not a temporary diet that often leads to frustration, deprivation and ultimately quitting.
Contact Lori at [email protected] today for questions or more support!