5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year! Now change everything about yourself this minute!
That’s not likely or reasonable. Set yourself up for success! Here are some tips on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions without making yourself hate life.
Make Reasonable Resolutions: Be honest with yourself and what you’re capable of doing. Want to lose weight? Instead of setting a huge number of pounds that looms over your head, try committing to visit the gym three times a week. Whatever your goals may be, make sure that they are attainable and break them up into smaller steps. Resolutions can still be challenging, but don’t make them impossible. While you’re at it, write your resolutions down to keep you honest.
Buddy Up: Tell your close family and friends about your goals so they can help you. Maybe someone else in your circle has a similar goal and you’ll find a gym buddy, or someone you can call when you’re trying to resist those cupcakes in the office break room.
Track Your Progress: Hold yourself accountable by tracking your progress. Write it down with your resolutions so you can see where you’ve been and where you’re going. For example, if you’re trying to save for a trip, set a special savings account and keep track of how much you’re contributing to your dream vacation.
Celebrate: When you reach those small intermediary goals, give yourself the recognition you deserve. That doesn’t mean pigging out once you’ve lost five pounds. It does mean to acknowledge when you’ve made progress by treating yourself in another way. Make plans with friends to see a movie, go for a special hike, watch one of your favorite movies, or celebrate in another way that’s special to you.
Don’t Give Up: No one is perfect. Again, no one is perfect. You might fall off the wagon. Don’t use that as an excuse to let your whole year fall apart. Evaluate what made the detour happen, and then get back on track. It’s only a failure if you let one slip up derail your long-term goals.
We hope these tips help you pave a road through a happy and healthy 2017!
