Happy New Year! If you are like most people, you are geared up and ready to make 2019 your best year ever. Whether it’s your new and improved healthy eating plan or your mission to stay more organized, we want to make sure that you are equipped with the tools needed to tackle these annual goals. Here are a few tips on how to stick with that New Year’s resolution…
Be honest. When you set your goals make sure that you evaluate your intentions and ask yourself whether the goal is really something that you are truly motivated to tackle. If you are just adding things to your list of New Year’s resolutions because you think they will look good or make you appear more dedicated to self-improvement, then think again. Ask yourself what you really want and what will bring you joy if you accomplish it.
Reward yourself. Give yourself a good pat on the back when you’ve committed to your goal for a certain amount of time. For example, if you have chosen to cut sugar out of your diet, reward yourself with a new article of clothing or a kitchen appliance that you’ve been wanting once you’ve hit a milestone. Maybe you want to mark every month with a new pat on the back, or maybe it will be a quarterly prize. Beware of the reverse reward though, and don’t applaud yourself with a box of chocolates. That would simply defeat the purpose.
Put a plan in place. New Year’s resolutions never come without temptation. Be sure to have a plan of attack for those moments of temptation. If your goal is to cut out sugar, you will likely be faced with social events that push desserts on you. In order to avoid the temptation and cave, one tactic is to think about how that dessert will feel for you both physically and mentally after you eat it. Really get yourself to think about those sluggish feelings that result from eating sugar and of course the mental defeat you will feel after caving in.
Ward off the naysayers. You will undoubtedly run into some naysayers along the way, since people with no goals love to talk down to those who have a long list of accomplishments. “Nobody will ever care about your dreams as much as you do,” is a famous quote that is true to the core. Since you are the one who has to live in your body, then push away the naysayers’ comments and keep the focus on what you, and only you want to achieve.
