Sticking with those New Year’s Resolutions

With the end of the holiday season and the start of the new year, many of us find ourselves facing those typical new year’s resolutions regarding our diet and fitness. Unfortunately, even with the best intentions, many of our new goals tend to fizzle out after a few weeks. Most of the time, this is due to setting unrealistic expectations or trying to make drastic changes.

Whatever fitness or diet goals you desire to implement, here are a few tips to help you keep those goals realistic and on track for this year.

Set SMART goals – SMART goals are those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For example, just saying you want to “exercise more” is not enough. This is not a SMART goal. It is too general, not measurable, and does not have a time frame, so it does not hold you accountable for consistently working toward your goal. Whereas a goal such as “I will take a walk for 20 minutes three times a week for the next eight weeks” is a SMART goal. It is specific, measurable and achievable each week, relevant toward what you are trying to accomplish, and defines a specific time frame to do it in. Additionally, you can always adjust the goal as you go, and once the timeframe is complete, follow up with another goal.

Implement Small Changes Over Time – Small and simple changes set you up for success. They allow you to attain small victories that help you build confidence along the way toward achieving your overall goal. Drastic lifestyle changes typically do not work for very long. For example, if you want to eat healthier, implementing a very drastic shift in your overall diet overnight generally will set you up to fail. Rather, look for ways to slowly start shifting toward making better choices during some of your meals, such as substituting a salad occasionally for those fries, or cutting back on your portion size. Initially, you can pick one thing to start changing first or focus on a simple way to make just one meal a tiny bit healthier. Once you have implemented that change for a while, select the next item to focus on and build on those successes.

Get Back on Track Sooner – If you get off track, just get back on track as quickly as possible. If you miss a workout, just continue again when you can. Do not let one missed workout turn into many. If you overeat at a meal, just eat lighter at the next. Do not let it become a reason to overeat all day. Additionally, when you do get off track, do not judge yourself or beat yourself up for not sticking to it. Change takes time and there will be ups and downs. Just get back on track as quickly as possible.

Whatever your goals, define them in a very specific, realistic and achievable manner, and along the way, find small, attainable and consistent wins. This will help you stay on track toward your goals into the new year.