The holiday season is about to be concluded (although it already has for some) and once again, it is time to face the reality of life...but not before we revisit the resolutions you have made to vow to stick come New Year. Well, it is 2016. With the help of the tips provided by Huffington Post and the experts, Breath Life Healing Centers Brad Lamm, along with registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Felicia Stoler DCN, MS, RDN, FACSM, and founder of YG Studios Nt Etuk for guidance...it can be done.
Set A Realistic Goal
Take baby steps instead of setting goals too high because it is the same reason we do not stick to them. Stoler says, "The challenge with resolutions for the new year are: they are often unrealistic, sometimes they are unattainable, and in theory they are about behavior change, but often most people lack an action plan that works." It also helps if the resolution is simple, especially if we are making more than one and stick to one before moving on to another to keep our focus.
Don't Quit If You Have A Minor Setback
"Failing to follow through on our resolutions usually happens when we operate under an 'all or nothing' mindset," says Lamm. There is no perfect way to do it but what matters is that we are dedicated in making it through no matter the relapse. Let us remind ourselves that we do not have to do everything perfectly, we just need to ensure that we come out as the better version of ourselves.
Build A Support Group
It does not matter what sort of resolution we have. Etuk says, "No person is an island, and no one gets where they want to be personally or professionally alone. We all need help, so build a team of partners around you who remind you of where and who you want to be." It is more inspiring to do things with others because not only we build connections, we also get encouragement from the people working on the same thing, hence, it gets easier.
Set Milestones
Etuk says, "Have a sense of when you want a milestone accomplished and let that drive you to catch up when you lag behind...More importantly, you have no way of knowing when to celebrate the small successes!" It shows that we are making progress and it does help when it comes to motivating ourselves to carry on.
Associate An Emotion With Success Or Failure
Etuk says, "To create lasting change, you want to practice associating a positive emotion with a positive outcome, and a negative emotion with a negative outcome..." Emotions, in whatever aspect, helps in achieving our goals.
Make it FUN!
Let us find fun in whatever it is we are doing. It should not be treated as a chore, but rather, a wonderful journey towards making our selves better and discovering the mystery within us.
Good luck!
