Traditionally, New Years is seen as a fresh start. Be it a soft reboot, or a major overhaul, many of us take advantage of the feeling of a clean slate. Whatever your goals are, the desire to better ourselves is something that we can all relate to. However, we are on week 2 of 2019 and a large number of us are already struggling with keeping up with our resolutions. What can we do about it?
First of all, congratulate yourself on wanting change and attempting it in the first place. Self-motivation is incredibly difficult to muster and maintain, so in my opinion, any amount of effort should be celebrated!
Secondly, reassess your goals. It's easy to get carried away in the euphoric release that comes with a new year. Too often we set unrealistic goals. Take, for example what is arguably one of the most common New Year's resolutions: Losing weight and getting fit. Some people expect to be able to hit the gym everyday or drastically change their diet overnight. They don't allow room for their daily lives or allow for their bodies to become accustomed to the changes. The result is a short lived attempt at an unsustainable lifestyle that will make one feel miserable, and later on, even more miserable when one inevitably fails and gives up. Instead, one should start small. Hit the gym a few times a week and cut down a bit on portion sizes or avoid sweets for example. The same goes for any other goals. Do some research on how long it would take to achieve said goals, do some soul searching, consider your schedules and priorities and establish an obtainable goal that while challenging, is still something that you feel you can achieve.
Thirdly, set a plan! If I got dropped off in the middle of the woods and was told to find my way back to civilization without a map or any supplies, I would cry and die while I wander around aimlessly. If I had a map however, and had time to gather provisions, I would feel much more confident in finding my way back home. Consider your resolutions as a point you need to navigate to. What tools and knowledge will you need? Who can you get to help you on your journey? Don't just run wild! Prepare yourself as best you can to maximize your chances of success! Often times, our goals where not as difficult as we originally thought, and because we prepared, we hit our marks in record time.
Lastly, learn to accept failure and setbacks. Nobody is perfect. Sometimes we might not get the results we expected or we might even lose our motivation and discipline to keep up with our resolutions. That is ok. It has happened to everyone. What is important is that we learn from it, and we get right back into it as soon as possible! If you're one of the many who already gave up, don't get discouraged! Don't settle! You still have 51 weeks (at the time I am writing this) to get it right! Developing new habits is hard work, but the only way to forge them is to keep trying, no matter how often you failed. Just smile and keep going.
I hope this helps. Here's to a new year. May it come with great success and happiness.
Till next week!