Resolutions for the Whole Year
Filed under Blog
By now, if you’re like most people, your New Year’s Resolutions have already been forgotten. Most people don’t stick to their resolutions past the second week of January. Generally because they didn’t have a strategy for creating habits to nurture their resolutions.
This happens whenever we try to make changes. No matter what kind of change – weight loss, financial stability, career move and even in relationships. We don’t change because we don’t put in place a strategy for making the change.
The theory goes it takes at least 21 days for something to become a habit. That can be smoking, overeating, exercising, eating healthy, sitting on the couch. It doesn’t matter what it is, it will galvanize itself after 21 days.
The good news is it’s pretty easy to establish a new, healthier habit in your life. It’s also pretty easy to break the bad ones if you consider it only takes 21 days.
The challenge is to be consistant for those 21 days.
The best way to do that is to create a schedule or strategy that will get you from day 1 to day 21. Thankfully, that’s pretty easy to do.
Let’s say you want to get in better shape for your New Year’s Resolution. That’s a great goal and pretty easy to do if you create a strategy for reaching your goal and stick to it for 21 days. Here are some tips to do just that.
Resolutions for the Whole Year
Write it down – You can use a planner, notebook, an app on your phone or even a chalkboard, whiteboard or bulletin board. Whichever method works best for you is the right way. Mark off 21 days from your start date and write down exactly what you hope to achieve. If your goal is to get in shape, you’ll need to know what that means. Does that mean losing 10 pounds, adding muscle to your frame or is it doing a specific number of sit ups? Whatever it is, write it down on day 21.
Plan it out – What are you going to do to reach your goal of getting in shape. For some it might mean hitting the gym three times a week. If that’s the case then jot down on your planner the days you plan to go and go on those days. When you’ve completed your day at the gym mark it as completed on the planner. Make it big and bold so you can glance at it quickly and see your progress.
Reward yourself – If you’ve gone to the gym each of those three days then reward yourself. Make sure the reward doesn’t set you back — don’t splurge on pizza and beer. Instead, treat yourself to a new workout outfit, or some running shoes or maybe a subscription to a health magazine.
Share your success – Not everyone enjoys posting selfies on social media, but studies have found those who do reach their goals and maintain them better than those who don’t. It’s theorized that people who share on social media feel obligated to maintain their success because others will hold them accountable. It’s worth a shot.
Slip ups happen – If you do slip up and miss a day at the gym or find yourself eating pizza and beer instead of working out, give yourself a break and get back on track right away. Don’t beat yourself up, that only encourages failure. Instead start back up on your new routine right away. Don’t wait until the next Monday, start immediately. Get off the couch and go to the gym.
Join a group – Like taking selfies, joining a group of like minded people will keep you accountable and on track to reach your goal. If you can’t find a group, consider creating your own. You can do so for free on Facebook. It’s a great way to stay motivated and help others reach their goals.
