Guess what?!?! It's that time of year again! The New Years! Time for making resolutions, and sticking to them; right? Wrong. If you are like most of the world, this next week of January will mark the day you take a new run at your already failed New Years Resolutions.
I don't know about you, but I hate New Years Resolutions. The reason why is they don't tend to work. Did you know only 9.2% of people achieve their New Years Resolution? Why would I jump on a bandwagon that's so unsuccessful?
I'm not saying you shouldn't set goals or strive to do better. Absolutely you should, those things are important. However it's the strategies we use when trying to achieve our New Years Resolution that makes me the skeptic. As a coach, I get to hear tons of Resolutions, and more often then not, resolutions need to be altered.
5 Reasons You Should Change Your Resolution
1. Your resolution isn't S-M-A-R-T: The biggest challenge with resolutions is definitely achieving them. It's really hard to judge what defines success when your goal is "I will eat healthier". What is "healthier" any way? These types of goals don't tend to lead to lasting lifestyle changes. Instead, make your goal SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. By making your resolution smart, it will be easier to monitor and track your success.
2. Your resolution is unrealistic: "I'm going to work out 2 hours every day and not eat more than 1000 calories" Definitely isn't a realistic goal. For one, you probably don't have the time to make that commitment, and secondly you probably won't have the will power to follow through.
3. You've got too many resolutions: Motivation, when you've got it, you tend to use it. Unfortunately when we feel motivated, we want to take on everything. The list of resolutions start to encompass everything healthy lifestyle and spread to quitting smoking, getting more sleep, reading more books, watching less tv, and... and... and... the list goes on and the list goes on and on. How are you supposed to accomplish your resolutions if you can't even remember them.
4. Your resolution doesn't have a plan: Without a solid plan, your resolution is just a dream. Planning helps you to be prepared for obstacles because part of the planning process is creating a contingency plan for unexpected problems. Without this step, every bump in the road will turn into a road block, where if you had had a plan you could have just kept going.
5. You've got the wrong perspective: Maybe you chose your resolution at your last drs appointment, after he called you obese. Or maybe you agreed to go in on a workout resolution with your best friend to try and encourage them to get in better shape. Or maybe your child has been begging you to quit smoking. No matter what your resolution is, your resolution must be important to you. If it's not, you definitely won't stick to it.
5 Ways to Make Your Resolution Stick
1. Make Your Resolution S-M-A-R-T: A smart goal can increase your chances of success to 64%. A smart goal addresses a concrete problem and is always important to YOU. Just make sure your SMART goal follows the rules and is:
-Specific
-Measurable
-Attainable
-Relevant
-Time Bound
2. Make 1 goal and stick to it: When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, it might feel like it's all or nothing. But the truth is any one lasting change you make will help you for the better. Instead of giving yourself a lift of goals, give yourself one small concrete goal and stick to it.
3. Write it Down and Ready it Daily: This may sound silly, but writing down a goal can actually be the difference between success and failure. When we write our goals down, they become solid and concrete, and REAL. When we read over our goals daily, they stay in the forefront of our mind, and as a result we put more effort into them. I recommend writing down your goal and putting it in the bathroom to review while you are getting ready.
4. Have an Accountabilibuddy: What's an accountabilibuddy? Well, it's someone you check in with on your goals. Someone who keeps you accountable. It's so easy to get stuck in the pattern of "The diet starts tomorrow", but with an accountabilibuddy, that pattern stops. Alot of the time we know exactly what we need to do, but doing it is half the battle. With an accountabilibuddy, you have someone to hold you to your word and as a result your chances for success increase.
5. Try Streaking: Maybe your goal was to go to the gym every day and you've already missed a few? That's ok! I always return to a process which I call "streaking". Streaking is when you keep track of how many days in a row you have maintained your good habits, and when you do fall off, you try to beat that number. Example: If my goal was "I'm not going to eat sugar", and then I complete 8 days without consuming any sugar, it isn't a failure if on the 9th day I do eat some sugar. Instead, my new goal is to try and make it 9 days without eating any sugar. This is a great way to not feel discouraged when you do fall off, but rather motivated to get back at it.
Remember, you don't need a year to make a change, all you need is a Monday! Don't get discouraged if your first attempt at your New Years Resolution didn't go exactly as planned. Make today better than yesterday. Remember, everyday is another chance to do it right!
Cheerfully,
Serial Dieter 911
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