How to Keep Going Strong with New Year’s Resolutions
It’s early January and most people who made New Year’s resolutions are still trying to stick it out past the first week of the year. Resolutions can be a welcome solution for some, such as an opportunity to better oneself and get healthier, and a thorn in the side for others, especially if you attempted goals in past years and have come up short or just called it quits early on. “New year, new me” is the mantra, but the “new” you doesn’t have to be a completely new person nor should you feel that you have to drastically change yourself. Self-improvement takes time and confidence in order to be successful. This self-confidence is key when attempting to stay strong and keep yourself on the right track towards your goals.
A resolution should be something you can actually see yourself doing and following through with. You don’t want to bite off more than you can chew as this will inevitably lead to giving up or calling it quits. People become angry at themselves for not being able to lose a certain amount of weight or run a certain amount of miles per week. Plan out a manageable resolution ahead of time and avoid leaving it to New Year’s Eve as you won’t be able to properly think of the time and effort you will need going through, such as setting time aside for the gym or running on a weekly basis. Your mind is only thinking of the now as opposed to the future when these resolutions are really put to the test.
Sit down with a calendar or organizer and try to block out time in your schedule in order to find out when you have those extra few hours of free time to pursue your goals. The decision is much more difficult to make if something comes up during that block of time. Ask yourself if watching that football game on the couch with the guys is more important than working on your cardio workout. Remember, it is your decision what is more important for that particular day as there will always be opportunities to hang out with your friends. If anything, let your friends and family know about your resolution and maybe they can help you through it! A buddy may have similar fitness goals this year to see if you can work on your goals together at the gym as someone who is trying to change their lifestyle and exercise regularly will know what you’re going through. It is very helpful to encourage and discuss your training in order to keep you motivated.
You can also give yourself short-term goals in order to make it a little easier on yourself to reach the finish line. If you’re trying to lose 20 pounds by the summer, divide up the weight and try to lose a few pounds each month leading up to a specific month. Baby steps are key as it becomes less stressful and maybe even easier for some to maintain their goals by taking it slowly. Remember, nobody’s perfect, so it’s normal to have a skip day as you may just not feel like running in the cold of January. Short term goals are more manageable and you can afford to have a slip up every once in a while as long as you are still staying on top of the goal for that month. Balance is key in exercising and you do not want to overexert yourself. It is unrealistic to lose 20 pounds in just a couple of months and by spreading it out you are watching your own back as you don’t want to injure yourself from too much exercise in a short period of time. Injuries require time to recover and you could easily lose your drive to continue to lose weight.
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