By Caitlin Leff
It’s been almost two months since New Year’s Eve which means that many of us who made resolutions earlier this year are losing motivation. But what is a New Years resolution anyway? It’s nothing more than a time to set goals, and truthfully, goals can be set all year long. So don’t worry if you haven’t started that new exercise or eating plan you swore you would start on the first of January, you can start today. It’s time to set your March resolution.
Many people try to give us information about resolutions, how to stick to them, and how many of us make them. Instead of bogging you down with all of the advice floating around I’ll share one common theme on how to succeed with your resolution: make it detailed and focused. What do I mean? Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight” think more along the lines of “I want to lose five pounds by the end of March. I’m going to do this by: riding my bike 3x a week, joining a running club, hiring a trainer, running my first 5K…” whatever your task may be. Instead of “I want to eat more healthy” try “I want to make sure I have at least 3 servings of veggies a day” or “I will cut back on my diet sodas to only 2x a week” or “I’ll start limiting my sugar intake to one cheat day a week”. Pinpointing something specific makes your goal much easier to stick with, and also easier to spot when you are slipping back to old habits. Detailed goals keep us accountable.
Write it down. Not only your goal, but also why you chose it, and put it somewhere accessible so in times of weakness or forgetfulness you can remind yourself why you originally wanted to make the changes. Sometimes we need a little inspiration to send us out into the world feeling like, “Ok, I can do this.” If you start feeling like you aren’t quite following the path you set out for yourself, go back to that inspired feeling of hope when you set your goal and read what you wrote to remind you of the possibilities you felt for the coming year even when it’s the middle of May. Resolutions might be set in January, but goals can be met all year long.
It’s never too late to make that change, or set that goal, all it takes is the motivation to get there. If you need a little extra motivation try enlisting the support of a friend to be your workout partner. Or come to the club and take a class when you can’t quite push yourself hard enough. But stick with your goal; you will be healthier and happier that you did.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me: caitlin@clubtwentyfour.com