8 Ways To Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution
It’s hard to stick to your New Year’s resolution. Before you set a new year’s resolution this year, read about these 8 ways to stick to your New Year’s Resolution to help you create a realistic goal you can accomplish and download your FREE goal-setting worksheet here.
Whether you believe in setting New Year’s resolutions, intentions, or goals or not, I’m sure we can all agree that making a change is hard. You don’t have to change, but perhaps there’s an area in your life you’d like to improve. Maybe it’s nutrition.
Before you set a crazy unrealistic New Year’s resolution and become a part of the statistics, learn how to stick to the goals you set…
Even if you wake up in a cloudy (hungover) fog from a few too many drinks the night before, it’s easy to seize the day on January 1st with a carpe diem, smell the roses, YOLO attitude. You’re excited for the new slate of a new year and ready to tackle the next 365 days to make it your “best year yet!”
Just several weeks later, you tell yourself you’ll be better, do better, or have a “fresh start” on Monday. But then that happens EVERY SINGLE MONDAY.
But no, I swearrrrrr this Monday will be different… maybe until Thursday?
Newsflash: A New Year’s resolution – like any goal – take a lot more dedication than a declaration of making said change.
No matter how much you wish for a complete overnight transformation, you won’t wake up 20 pounds lighter one day with a distaste for cigarettes and the muscle capacity to run a marathon. Sorry.
In the hours and days following January 1st you may feel invigorated and motivated to make a change – ANY change!
Despite your passion for your new project, it’s more likely than not that one day your drive will crash and you’ll wake up with less energy and willpower to continue bettering yourself like you had on New Year’s Day.
Staying in bed on a cold January or February morning sounds sooo much more appealing than hitting the gym… right?
You’re not alone.
It’s hard to stick to your New Year’s resolution!
Studies find that people abandon over 40 percent of New Year’s resolutions by February!
So what should you do when you feel your motivation slipping away from you after your New Year’s resolution buzz wears off?
It’s time to dig deep to find motivation.
You can prevent motivation from tapering off by making a smarter resolution on New Year’s Day.
Here are 8 ways to stick to your New Year’s Resolution:
1. Write Down Your WHY
The simplest way to stay inspired and achieve your goals is to get in touch with what’s motivating you to commit to change/improve/better yourself in the first place.
Instead of saying “I’m going to run a marathon,” say “I’m going to run a marathon because…”
It’s not just “I want to improve my health.” While that’s great, it’s not going to encourage you to cook at home instead of ordering takeout after a long and stressful day at work.
Visualize how your life will improve. What will you be able to do once you create a new habit or reach your goal?
2. Find Balance
Taking an all or nothing approach for some resolutions, like smoking cessation, can be beneficial. Starting a new exercise regimen or healthy eating journey, however, requires more give and take.
I’m constantly asked about the number one weight loss or healthy eating mistake I see people make and my go-to response is always: TOO MUCH TOO FAST.
You don’t eat ANY sweets. You eliminate ALL grains. You ONLY eat veggies and protein.
Do you see a pattern?
Many clients come to me thinking they’ll achieve their goals faster by taking an all or nothing approach. In reality, it’s a shortcut to burn out.
Yes, you’ll lose 10 pounds super fast by eliminating all carbohydrates (most of which is water weight!!!)…. but will you maintain that loss? Absolutely not.
Willpower will fade. Balance is sustainable.
Find out why a balanced diet matters.
3. Add More. Eliminate Less.
When I became a vegetarian, people would constantly ask me, “don’t you miss [insert your favorite meat]?” To be honest, I didn’t miss meat at all because I thought about all the other foods I added to my diet. I tried tofu for the first time. I started liking mushrooms. I experimented in baking.
Even though this was a change I was excited about, it was much easier to enjoy the change by focusing on new foods instead of focusing on never eating chicken fingers again.
Find out why I don’t like diet labels + started eating meat again here!
You don’t need to make a radical change to start adding more. If you’re looking to eat healthier, ADD a handful of vegetables to your lunch and dinner. ADD a serving of fruit at breakfast. ADD whole wheat pasta WITH regular pasta.
4. Divide Your Goal Into Micro Goals
Instead of one overzealous goal you wish to accomplish as the finale to your year (December 2020 is FAR away!), create milestones along the way that are attainable.
Accomplishing small benchmarks on your journey to improve your health is nothing to scoff at! Forming a habit takes time (way more than the “21 days” you often hear about!), so try creating a new “micro goal” every month to conjure up excitement.
I recently did this with my Holiday Challenge through my email newsletter (sign up here so you don’t miss my next challenge!). I challenged my community to make a new health behavior change every week, like drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, or add more greens at lunch and dinner.
By working towards one VERY SPECIFIC behavior each week, my community was able to laser focus on their health.
Download my 2020 Goal Setting Worksheet to set your micro goals!
5. Reward Yourself
When I was in middle school, my parents promised me a flat iron if I slept in until 12pm on a weekend. For the curly frizz that was my tween hair, I wasn’t about to leave my room until 12:01pm so I could get the latest and greatest Sapphire iron to tame my frizz (you know what I’m talking about ladies!).
Incentives exist for a reason – they work. Stay on track to accomplish your micro goals by rewarding yourself. For example, if your micro goal one month is to cook at home 3 nights a week, print out a calendar and keep track (don’t just guess) and write down your incentive on it. Post it on your fridge to keep it in line of sight. At the end of the month, if you accomplish this goal, you can “cash in” on your incentive. Personally, I’d work towards a new pan or mini kitchen appliance I have my eye on for this one!
I have one rule here. You may not reward yourself with food. Try to relate your incentive back to your goal (as I did in the kitchen example).
6. Cheer For Yourself
Whether it’s on your alarm clock, bathroom mirror, or kitchen cabinets, seeing “Don’t give up!” or “Keep up the good work!” first thing in the morning is a great reminder that you are awesome and you can do anything you set your mind to in order to cross the finish line. Write down inspirational quotes (you go girl!), your goals, or your rewards to wake up your brain to pay attention to your resolutions.
7. Visualize Success
Do you remember the Saved by the Bell beach club episode where someone gets hurt before the annual inter-beach club volleyball tournament and Mr. Carosi [their boss] saw the group not practicing so they had to make up an excuse that they were “visualizing the game?” Turns out, it’s scientifically proven that visualizing a favorable outcome can lead to triumph.
Next time you’re struggling at the gym or really want to bite your nails (hey, that was totally my New Year’s resolution one year!), visualize how proud you will feel when you accomplish your goal.
But positive visualization is only one half of the equation. Also fantasize about challenges you may face along the way. If your goal is to run a marathon, envisioning yourself crossing the finish line is great, but also think of the cramps you may get at mile 13 and the pain you might face at mile 20 to prepare yourself with a realistic picture of marathon day.
8. Think of Your Goal as Learning a New Skill
When we’re young, we don’t think twice about learning something new. You were eager to tie your shoes by yourself or ride a two-wheeler without mom or dad holding on. Thinking of your goal in terms of learning something new can boost your motivation.
If your goal is to eat healthier, learning how to cook is an exciting and fun way to reach your goal. If your New Year’s resolution is to run a marathon, learning running technique can help you get there.
Mastering a new skill or hobby also keeps your brain fresh and adaptive, which is something we all need!
Obstacles are part of the journey of change, but as Teddy Roosevelt once said, “The man [woman] who never makes a mistake is the man [woman] who never does anything.” Imagine the sense of accomplishment you will feel when you finally quit/start/lose/learn whatever you hope to change this year and keep moving forward!
XO
P.S. Don’t forget to download your FREE Goal-Setting Worksheet HERE!!!