Every year when the first of January comes rolling in, the buzz word everywhere is ‘resolutions’. New year, new you, time for a change, you’ve heard them all, I’m sure! Goals are a great thing! With the new year comes the hope of new beginnings, turnover, a fresh start. If this ignites you to make a change, I am here for it! My tips this week give you 10 Tips To Help You Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution. Don’t give up on that goal!
Tara’s Tuesday Tips:
10 Tips To Help You Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution
1. Start with ‘Why”
You’ve heard this before from me. My absolute favorite book is by Simon Sinek. “Start with Why”. If you don’t have the why, you are setting yourself up for failure. Maybe you know ‘what’ you have to do to reach your goal, but do you know ‘why’ you are doing it? Find your why + this is the first step to sticking to that resolution!
2. Why now?
Make it about now. Not something 5 years from now. What is going on in your life now that will push you to accomplish your goal. What can you do now to make that dream a reality?
3. Communicate
Tell people! Especially tell people that are going to hold you accountable or that have a similar goal. Social media or in person, just do it.
4. Set up your life to minimize temptation
Play offense, not defense, with your willpower. People with the best self-control are the ones that use their willpower less often. My favorite example is, if it isn’t in your house it can’t make it in your stomach 😉. Don’t put yourself in a situation that repeatedly tempts your willpower. This will give you a better chance at sticking to that resolution.
5. Be specific and clear
“I am going to save money this year” vs “I am going to make a new household budget that allows me to save 10% of my weekly paycheck with an automatic savings deposit every week”. See the difference? Same applies to your health. “I am going to lose weight this year” vs “I am going to walk every night after dinner for 30 minutes”. Very different. More achievable. This is one of my favorite tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolution as it can be applied to all areas of your life!
6. Don’t Overreact To A Setback
Don’t let one small setback derail your entire plan. In the diet and nutrition world, it is called “counter-regulatory eating” but it certainly can be applied to any goal. Eating one donut may cause a person to feel as though they have blown their entire day’s eating and they end up eating the whole dozen. They ultimately have caused more harm than if they had just accepted that they ate one donut and moved on back to their healthy habits.
7. Reward Yourself
The reward system needs to be built into the plan. For me, I reward myself with yoga. It may sound crazy, but it is motivation for me to get things done. I view yoga as sort of, well, an extra. It is an expense in time and money. Therefore, if I have accomplished the things on my list, I get to go to the yoga studio. Humans like to be rewarded … coins and banners in video games, trophies, ribbons, paychecks 😊.
8. Keep Track of Progress Visually
Visual progress can be a reward in itself. So many fitness apps reward milestones such as weight lost, miles run, steps taken, calories eaten. Even in the finance world there are apps that track savings, expenses, and even group expenses into categories to help see where money is being spent and saved. The tech world is full of gadgets to help support your resolutions. This is a must. Don’t like apps? Get a journal!
9. Make Time For Review
It isn’t enough to have the app or the journal that is going to help keep track of your efforts towards your goal. You need to make time to review the progress. This gives you the opportunity to readjust before getting too far off course or to motivate you to keep at it. Whatever time you choose, put it in the plan in the beginning.
10. Be prepared to readjust
Kids, job, pets, money, travel, distractions. I know. Just slightly readjust the goal. Life will get in the way but when you do #1-9 on the list, you create a safety net so that when life does get in the way you can get back to that resolution and one step closer to that goal. You have resolved to change. You are already closer than you were in 2018.
Need More Healthy Holiday Inspiration?
Check these out:
How to Stay Healthy During The Holiday
Tips For A Merry Healthy Holiday
How to Have a Healthier Valentine’s Day
New Year’s Resolutions Worth Fighting For
Trick-or-Treating Vegetarian Style
Halloween Survival Guide for Vegetarians
The Vegetarian’s Guide To A Healthy Halloween
Tips For a Plant-Based Cinco De Mayo Celebration
I hope you are all off to a great start in 2019 with these
tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolution!
If your goal is to improve your health or to learn how easy it is to be vegetarian, let me know, I can help! Leave a comment below. We love comments ❤
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All the best,
Tara ♥
