New Years Resolutions vs. Goal Setting
New Years Resolutions?
Do you love them or hate them? I personally don’t make new Years Resolutions and don’t think you need them to have a successful and healthy year. I am all about setting goals and working on yourself, but I don’t think you need a new year, month, or even day to do so. If you see a problem that you want to fix, why not start working on it right now? That being said, if you find your New Year’s Resolution fading by February, don’t fret. That happens to a lot of people. While I don’t have any resolutions, I have lots of goals that I am always working toward. Here are some tips that help me to achieve my goals.
Consistency
Being consistent in your life is critical in order to see results. This is especially true in terms of diet and exercise. I stay consistent in my diet by always having snacks on me like fruit, vegetables, roasted chickpeas, and instant oat packets (I usually can find hot water somewhere). I also stay consistent by making sure I stock up on 2 weeks worth of healthy groceries when I go to the store to avoid having to eat out. I also make sure to have healthy staples that are quick to cook, and can be made into full meals. You can do so much with rice, beans, potatoes, oats, frozen vegetables, avocado, lettuce, and seasonings. For more of my healthy grocery staples check out an entire post dedicated to just that HERE.
Stay consistent in your workout routine. If you have a slightly different schedule week to week, plan out your workouts for the week on Sunday. I do this because my schedule is different each week depending on what exams I have, what rotation I may be on for school, and if I have any meetings/review sessions/lab work to get done. Scheduling in workout sessions at the beginning of the week helps to make sure that you stick to them! I also advise exercising/being active 5-6 days a week, not only to stay consistent, but also to make exercise a habit and a part of your daily routine.
Flexibility
And no, I’m not talking about going to hot yoga- although I totally enjoy that and recommend trying it if you haven’t. I’m talking about being flexible with your routine and changing your plans as the day goes. There have been many times where I have planned on working out very early in the morning, but opted to sleep in a bit and go after class. There have also been times where I have finished a rotation super early and was able to head to the gym before I had planned. If you miss your morning workout, no sweat (literally)- just go after work/school, etc! Forgot your lunch at home? Find a healthy option near you that isn’t fast food (maybe I’ll do a post later on what I think about fast food- blechhh). My point is, if your healthy living resolution isn’t going exactly as planned, don’t give up- you’ll get the hang of it.
Don’t Expect Results Overnight
In my opinion, this is the number one reason why most people do not follow through with their diet/resolution/goal. In today’s society, we are all about convenience and fast results. Why do you think all of those diets that promise you will lose 10 pounds in 3 days are so popular??? Too bad they are a crash diet that is not sustainable (trust me, I’ve done them). If your goal is to lose weight or eat healthier, don’t give up just because you haven’t lost weight after one week. Instead, re-evaluate what you were doing and see how you can tweak it for better results. This applies to non-fitness related goals as well. You can’t expect that changing one tiny thing will lead to massive results. You have to continue working at it, day after day, and you will get there. That being said, don’t wait to start working on your goal because before you know it months could have passed by and you will still be in the same spot. CHANGE NOW. WORK ON YOURSELF NOW. DO NOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW, MONDAY, THE HOLIDAYS TO END, ETC. – I think you catch my drift how much I believe in this ehh?
Change your Mindset
When you change the way that you look at food and exercise, you will be more likely to stick to your lifestyle change. Instead of dreading going to the gym, view it as a privilege. You are healthy enough to exercise, have enough money to afford a gym, and blessed more than most people. When I changed my mindset about running from “I have to run today” to “I get to run today”, I was much more excited about my workouts. The same thing goes for eating healthier. Instead of thinking “I need to lose weight so I have to eat this boring salad”, think “I am choosing to eat whole, nutritious foods because my health is important to me” or “I am eating to feel my best and fuel myself to get through my busy day and workouts”. Life is all about perspective, and if you dread what you are doing, you probably won’t be having a great time. That being said, give yourself a little time to truly love eating healthy and exercising. Working out isn’t as fun when you are out of shape, and eating healthy isn’t as easy when you’ve been overdosing on the sugar and junk food. It takes time for your taste buds to change and for your body to crave whole foods.
If you fall down, don’t stay down
Your “will power” failed you at a party and you ate 2 pieces of cake and pizza?? Don’t go home and polish off the ice cream and have donuts for breakfast the next morning because you already “failed” (p.s. no you did not fail). Simply move on. Make the next meal healthy. Don’t ditch your workout because you feel full or bloated. Missed one workout? Don’t skip the rest of the week. Missed a week of workouts? Don’t skip out on the whole month. It is a lot easier to jump back into your healthy lifestyle when less time has passed. Don’t talk down to yourself, but instead remind yourself that everyone has slip ups and its perfectly NORMAL.
What are some of your goals for this year? How do you make sure that you follow through on your goals/resolutions, etc.? What is your favorite motivational quote?? let me know in the comments!
