Have you ever made a New Years resolution only to break it? It’s difficult to achieve or even keep the resolutions we make at the beginning of each year, especially those made in regards to staying fit and keeping a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A majority of people who set their goals find themselves procrastinating or holding back from achieving their resolutions because they aren’t inspired by their goal, or find the task “too hard” to achieve. Here are five simple ways to keep your motivation levels up and get you on your way to achieving your New Years resolutions!
1. Keep it real. It’s always good to be ambitious, but overreaching often ends in frustration when you realise you can’t achieve the huge goal set for yourself. There’s nothing worse than a daunting New Years resolution, and there’s no point in making a goal you’re going to shy away from. By keeping your goal simple, but still challenging, you not only make it more attainable, but also more motivating. Psychologist Lynn Bufta of the American Psychologist Association states that “it’s not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it.”
2. Set checkpoints. By breaking your goal into “chunks” (broken up by time, or by each “step” towards reaching your goal), you make them much easier to incorporate into your lifestyle. Rather than “getting fit”, why not try joining a yoga class, or training for a fun run. Small achievements throughout the year will keep you motivated for longer due to the success you experience.
3. Make it fun. It’s hard to stay motivated when you dread doing the work that will help you achieve your goal. Make your goal more enjoyable for yourself through rewarding yourself for checkpoints met along the way! Another good idea is to get friends on board- either in helping you by keeping you accountable or asking them to complete the resolution alongside you. By having friends who are aware of or doing the goal alongside you, you have people to remind you of the progress you’ve made and encourage you to keep at it.
4. Remind yourself why you originally set your goal. Was it to create a more healthy lifestyle for yourself? Or to make a positive change? By constantly reminding yourself of not only the reasoning behind your resolution, but also the satisfaction of reaching the finish line, you keep the goal fresh in your mind and motivate yourself to achieve that goal.
5. Get help. Sometimes your goal will require outside help. Resolutions such as quitting smoking or alcohol are hard to keep on your own, and there are many websites, phone lines and communities set up to aid you. Even if you aren’t thinking of quitting something, but rather starting something, there’s always groups, websites and apps to help you out with whatever you’re doing.
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