In part one we looked at what it means to make New Year’s resolutions for your health and what research has to say about them. We also looked at how there is a divide between starting to change your behavior and the actions that are needed to maintain them.
Now we will look at some tips and tricks to help you to do what you have resolved to do at the start of a brand New Year.
Be realistic in your goal setting:
If you want to think big such as “I want to lose 20 pounds this year” or “I want to get killer abs” or “I want to give up smoking completely” then think big but then you must be realistic and reasonable in breaking down your goals into smaller more attainable steps. You want to start with peanuts, which means to start small and then to work from there. If you do not break down your goals into smaller more manageable ones then you will lose focus right away and you will feel like you are facing a huge mountain that you cannot climb and you will give up.
On the other hand if you create smaller goals for yourself then you can chart your progress and you can use positive reinforcement to keep yourself going. Think of small but significant ways to reward yourself once you have reached each one of the smaller goals.
Please note – if you are trying to lose weight then do not reward yourself with food! Perhaps a massage or a movie with a friend would be better choices!
Schedule in your positive changes:
There are vague intentions that end up getting lost in your busy schedule and then there are planned actions that get done. Write things down in your calendar and make sure that you make time to do them. Whether it is going to the gym, taking a walk around the block or researching some healthy meal ideas if you do not schedule time to devote to these things then they will not happen and will get allocated to the back burner of your life.
Walking hand in hand with scheduling time to make your New Year’s resolutions come true is making them a priority. Only you can make them matter in your life so do that!
Keep a progress diary or journal:
Staying motivated is so much easier if you write down your progress. You can use a diary, log, journal or a wall calendar. Whatever you choose make sure you write in it faithfully and keep it close at hand. When you are feeling low and unmotivated then look at your progress so far and this should help to bolster your efforts. It is the “You go girl!” or “You go boy!” mentality at its best!
Keep going!
There may be times when you feel discouraged because results do not seem to be showing themselves as quickly as you had hoped that they would. When this happens just keep going and do not give up on your resolutions! Slip-ups and going two steps back before moving two steps forward are sometimes par for the course.
Do not be too hard on yourself. Realize that these may happen to you and then carry on. If you wallow in self-pity or spend too long pointing an accusing finger at yourself then you are more likely to give up. Instead use the slip-ups as an opportunity to challenge and motivate yourself and then get on with it!
Samantha
Alternative Health for Today 