With the New Year approaching, millions of people will be pledging resolutions that will most likely never be fulfilled. So in one year, all those people will be setting the same resolution for probably the 5th year in a row.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with setting resolution. There is, however, a problem with starting them and not finishing them.
I think there are few problems as to why people set these goals and don't finish them. Anything from not being passionate about it, keeping themselves motivated, there is a huge list. To prevent yourself from trying to lose weight for the 10th year in a row, I have some advice on how to set the right goals and keep them!
1. Make sure your goals are realistic. For example, setting a goal to "travel to all 50 states" when you are 30,000$ in student loan debt to the government trying to finish your masters may not be something you can accomplish. Instead, make your goal to visit a new state, 2 new states, or plan a vacation. That way, you are starting somewhere, but also setting a very attainable goal. Another example is, instead of saying you will run a marathon the end of the year when you know damn well you can barely run to the end of the road, set up a more reasonable goal, like to be able to run a 10K or 5K by the end of the year. When you give yourself reasonable resolutions, there is always room to surpass it, but if something happens to where you can't reach that goal, or even your smaller goal, then you won't feel so down.
2. Make your resolutions for yourself. Above all else, your life is for you. So do not try and make a resolution to get into a relationship, to convince your man to propose, any of that nonsense. Your resolution is just that, yours.
3. Word your resolutions differently. Instead of "lose 50 pounds," say "get healthy," or instead of "make Dean's list," say "get better grades." This goes back to making your goals more attainable. But you also won't feel the pressure to lose 50 pounds like you will to drink less beer and eat more fish.
4. Set smaller goals along the way. To go back to losing weight, instead of saying to lose 50 pounds, set your resolution to be "lose 8 pounds a month," "work out at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day," "cut out 2 fast food trips a week," whatever it is you do on a regular basis that will inhibit your ability to achieve your resolution. Breaking it down into smaller goals will make that losing 50 pounds look a lot more feasible.
5. Write out your resolution, the smaller goals, and put it somewhere you will see every damn day. By your mirror, your nightstand, your fridge, your planner, or even set it as your phone background. Having it stare you everyday will remind you what you are suppose to do. It will motivate yourself not to let yourself down that day.
6. Share your resolution with your friends, put in on instagram, put it on a T Shirt if you really want. But letting others know what you want to do will motivate you to do it. It's like when you were a kid and claimed you weren't scared of something, even though it scared you to death, but you didn't want your friends to think you were all talk and no action. That's the same principle. It's self motivation, and your friends will always be there for encouragement and support when you need it.
7. Don't get discouraged by setbacks, and keep your goal in mind. There will be off weeks, days, months, even. But it is never too late to get yourself back on track. If you do fall behind, it may be a good idea to set yourself a new goal. The most important thing is not letting yourself get discouraged to the point you give up. Pick yourself back up and keep truckin'!
8. Treat yo self. Whenever you hit a point you thought you'd never hit, then it;s your time to celebrate. You have to make time for the little victories. Chances are, you never thought you'd accomplish what you did. So you need to give yourself a pat on the back. This will also keep you motivated to keep going, and make you feel incredibly accomplished. Because you are!
9. Keep remind yourself why you are doing what you're doing. I love the quote "whenever you feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place." It is incredibly important to remind yourself why you are trying to change your life. Whenever you write down your goals, be sure to include why you are doing it.
10. NEVER GIVE UP! To combine everything that's been said, when it comes down to it, 365 days will go by very fast. You don't want to look back to January 1st on December 31st and think about all the time that went by, and nothing changed. That time will pass no matter what, so you should put it to good use.
Life is too short not to do what is best for you. The beginning of the year is the perfect time to wipe your slate clean and start over. No matter what your New Year's resolution is, you can do it!
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