[New post] How To Stick to Your Resolutions this Year
kking posted: " It's a new year! I love January! I use to be a personal trainer and January was always the time of year that got really busy and exciting. I love the energy of a new year, the idea of a fresh start is what we all need sometimes. I always start January s"
It's a new year! I love January! I use to be a personal trainer and January was always the time of year that got really busy and exciting. I love the energy of a new year, the idea of a fresh start is what we all need sometimes. I always start January strong with my goals, and of course its natural to start to wane that excitement after a couple months. So let's chat about how to make this year different. Let's get you achieving all your goals you have set for yourself this year.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton found that 23% of people quit their resolution after just one week. And only 19% of individuals are actually able to stick to their goals long term (two years, in the case of the study). According to Business Insider, the reasons we don't stick to our goals is 1. We are not ready to change, 2. There is no self monitoring, 3. There is a lack of planning, 4. We are overconfident, and 5. We are not looking at what has to be given up. Let's now look at how we can actually help you stick to your goals this year.
Set SMARTGoals - For starters, you have to make sure you wrote some good goals! Make sure to read my article called Setting Goals that Stick and learn about the importance of making SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals.
A special pandemic tip - Try to pick goals you can control that have a low chance of being impacted by the pandemic. Avoid goals that rely heavily on external sources like "Travel to three countries", or "Try a new restaurant every month". Instead stick to things like "Pursue personal growth through therapy" or "Take control of my health through regular doctor appointments and a gym membership"
Forgive yourself for past failures - Forget the past and start looking to the future. You cannot change what happened in the past, but you can learn from it. Remember, this is a new year, new you!
Set Reminders - Set calendar reminders on your phone today (or on your paper one) for throughout the year.
Set a reminder on July 1st to reassess your goals (halfway through the year)
Set a reminder in different months for specific tasks to do to reach your goals. Example: Set a reminder for Feb 14th and August 14th to evaluate your financials.
Quit Comparing your Goals and Progress to Others - It's easy to feel discouraged when there is social media available at our fingertips to compare ourselves to others. When your goal is to read three books this year and you log onto social media to see someone say they read three books a month, this can be discouraging. Your journey is your own and it is silly to compare to other peoples goals when their vision, life and circumstances are vastly different than yours. You may need to add "Set social media boundaries" to your goal list too.
Ignore the Intense People - Haven't you ever overheard a conversation like "I want to lose weight, so I joined a gym" in which the other person starts spitting off everything else they should be doing too, "Well, you also need to watch your diet, meal prep, and make sure you research those protein shakes, oh and don't do too much cardio, and you also should address your mental health and try this yoga studio". Ignore those people, they will overwhelm you and leave you wanting to give up before you even start, instead just take it one step at a time. Some say, "If you're going to do it, do it right". I disagree with this statement, instead I believe "If you're going to do it, just do it!". You will get it right eventually, but take the brave leap and just get started with a gym membership. If you aren't getting the results you want, then you can start looking into adding some more goals in there.
Be Flexible - Its okay if your goal changes throughout the year, especially during the pandemic. In 2020 I was training for a Half Iron Man, only to have it cancelled. Instead I ran a virtual half marathon and improved my at-home workouts. Try to get creative when roadblocks appear.
Have People Keep you Accountable - Tell a few people about your goals, maybe even ask some of them to keep you accountable. Initiate a monthly coffee chat with a friend where you update each other on how your goals are progressing. This will put some added pressure on you to deliver some positive news to your friend each month.
Have a Happy New Year!
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