My shopping cart
Your cart is currently empty.
Continue ShoppingHow to Achieve Your New Year's Resolutions
Every January, people take the time to lay out New Year's resolutions for themselves. These resolutions are generally geared towards improving as an individual. The vast majority of resolutions, however, are specifically related to physical health and wellness matters. While some people choose to rule out certain foods like sugar or fast food for the year, many people decide to sign up for the gym in the hope that they will be inspired to work out more as their New Year's resolution.
Unfortunately, though, many people find themselves abandoning their resolutions as early as February. Gym memberships are left unused and healthy changes to diet are abandoned. Why does this happen to so many people? The answer to this question generally lies with the type of resolution itself.
If you are looking to start things off right this New Year and find a resolution that you can actually stick to, here are a few tips that can help you reach your goals this year.
Be Specific
One of the key reasons that people tend to abandon their New Year's resolutions revolve around the type of resolution they make. For instance, someone wishing to lose some weight might simply use that as their resolution. However, this goal is incredibly vague and doesn't leave much for you to hang on to as your resolve begins to lag.
The best thing you can do is set a specific goal for yourself. If you wish to lose weight, choose a particular amount of weight that you would like to let go of. If you want to be healthier, resolve to cut out something specific like cookies or French fries. When you are specific, you can keep your goals at the forefront of your mind at all times and gear your actions towards your particular goal.
Be Realistic
The other issue that comes into play for a great many people when it comes to New Year's resolutions is that of thinking too big. Take, for example, the scenario where someone wishes to eat healthier. Resolving to eliminate all unhealthy foods immediately from your diet is simply unrealistic and will leave you with cravings that are too difficult to beat on willpower alone. Even if you start off well, this type of resolution will leave you feeling defeated and helpless.
If your goal is to truly eat healthier, start by making simple, healthy switches to your diet. Over time, you can create a progression for yourself on the road to healthier eating habits. Those with a sweet tooth can start by limiting themselves to one small treat a day. After a few weeks, cut back to one every few days, then one a week. Before you know it, you can realistically and drastically reduce your regular sugar intake.
The same goes for working out. It is unrealistic to go from never working out to doing so every day. Start small with a couple of 30-minute workouts a week and then increase your activity as the weeks go by.