Make Your New Year’s Resolution Stick!

Ahhh… THE NEW YEAR! We begin the year with inspiration, motivation, and the best of intentions. We feel stubborn and resilient. Nothing’s going to stand in our way!  This is the year we’re going to stick with _________________ (enter goal here).

 

TOP RESOLUTIONS

– > Quit Smoking
– > Lose Weight
– > Get Organized
– > Eat Healthier
– > Save Money
– > Learn Something New
– > Exercise More
– > Spend Time with Family
– > Travel More

 

 

And then the end of January comes and 43% of us have already quit.  The end of February comes and 80% of us have decided the change just isn’t worth the effort.  By the end of the year 91% of us have forgotten about our resolution or thrown in the towel.  Which begs the question…. What are those other 9% of people doing?  And what could possibly keep us motivated to stick with the changes that we truly want to make?

Whether you’re a “swing for the fences/big goals & ideas” person or a “one well-chewed bite at a time/all about the details” person there are consistencies in how we achieve our successes.

 

Be Specific

If you don’t know where you want to go, how do you expect to get there? And how will you know WHEN you get there?

Be Realistic

Consider picking ONE thing to focus on. Challenging yourself is excellent. However, taking on too much too quickly can cause overwhelm and make your house of cards tumble. You’ve got time… slow and steady wins the race. And one of my favorite reminders is – “a little progress is still progress”.

 

Focus on the Habit

One you’ve set your sights on a goal, focus more on the habits you want to create and less on the results you aim to achieve. Example: If you want to lose 10 lbs, focus on being physically active on a daily basis for a specific amount of time, and become diligent and disciplined with your food and snack choices. Be intentional and identify your boundaries, but be gentle with yourself. Unhealthy workouts or starving yourself to reach a number isn’t a healthy or sustainable practice, and it often results in rebounds that create disappointment and aggravation.

Create new habits with the assistance of Replacement Behaviors. Example: I used to stress-snack … daily. That led to gaining an undesirable amount of belly fat.

Fact: Belly fat contributes to poor heart health.
Fact: My family has some history of heart attacks and heart disease.
Fact: I don’t want to have a heart attack.

Part of my plan to stop stress-snacking was using a Replacement Behavior of 10 (and eventually 20) pushups. Instead of reaching for a snack when I began to feel stress, I would do pushups. This created a new route in my brain, a new habit, to seek a healthy behavior in times of stress instead of an unhealthy, unintentional, and thoughtless eating habit. The combination of physical activity and less snacking led to positive physical and mental results.

 

Tell Someone (or more than one someone)

Share your goal with a friend or an accountability buddy. Shared motivation can be beneficial for both of you. Share your failures as well as your successes.

 

Re-Framing

Another helpful way of maintaining focus and motivation is by re-framing your goals by stating what you DON’T want. Example: I want to stop smoking because I don’t want to feel that tightness in my chest anymore. I don’t want to keep spending $8 a pack. I don’t want to go outside in the wintertime. I don’t want to have all the future medical issues (and costs!) associated with smoking. What do I want to AVOID more than I want this cigarette right now?

Replacement Behaviors can be helpful here as well. Example: find a group and create a time to socialize or take breaks together. You could do a minute or two of breathing exercises. (You don’t have to do these as a group… but you can if you want) Or try a fake or a “phantom cigarette”. Going through the motion of the smoking ritual may help satiate your craving.

 

Be patient with yourself.

A new intention or practice can take 66 to 254 days to become a part of your normal habits or routine.
And a FAILURE doesn’t mean you have to stop or give up. You can ALWAYS try again. Keep at it.

 

Final Thoughts

Thoughts are like clothes. Every day we choose what we want to wear. And we can change them – Any. Time. We. Want.

When you wake up in the morning, what version of yourself do you want to wear? The grumpy, annoyed, unmotivated, thinking everything is bull…pucky version? Or do you want to be the version of yourself that knows EXACTLY what you want out of your day, that you’re grateful to have another new opportunity to pursue these things you want, that you’re going to respond to challenges with a can-do attitude, that you have the ability to create healthy expectations and boundaries, and that YOU have the control over your thoughts and actions? Which version of you is going to serve you the best?

These can be tough thoughts to have or to maintain ESPECIALLY when you’re feeling stressed or out of control… and that’s okay. Allow yourself to shift focus off the negatives even if just for a moment. Don’t let stressors and negativity take all your focus and energy. If you’re feeling stressed, take a slow deep breath and focus on the next ONE thing that needs to be done. If you’re struggling with negative headspace, do something nice for someone else. This usually gives me a boost in the right direction. A friendly connection and conversation with someone can set your day in a whole new direction. If the negativity is something stronger and you’re having difficulty working through it, there are a variety of resources online and in-person that are available to you. Remember that reaching out for the assistance you want or need is an act of strength.

Whatever you’re focusing on in the upcoming year, I wish you all the best! Have a happy, healthy, and satisfying 2024!

Dan