Most of us have set New Year’s resolutions for ourselves in the past and had the experience of not sticking with them. This year, we’ve put together some expert tips to help you achieve your goals. Good luck!
Know yourself
If your resolution is to get fit and you hate going to the gym with a passion, don’t plan on signing up for an expensive gym program. Target other ways to increase physical activity, such as walking to the shops and carrying the shopping home, or gardening, bushwalking and manual labour.
Take baby steps
Lifestyle magazines often carry inspirational stories about people who’ve just completed their first 10 km run, half-marathon or even marathon — people who months earlier couldn’t run around the block. These people all share something in common — they didn’t start by lacing up their shoes and launching themselves into a 10 km run, only to injure themselves and never try again. Most of them started by walking!
By walking regularly they prepared their muscles and tendons for running, and started an exercise habit. Then by adding 15 seconds of light jogging into their walks here and there, they worked up to a point where they could walk and jog for a few minutes alternately. Eventually, they could go out and jog for 15 or 20 minutes. Next thing, they were lining up for their first fun run. Often it took months, but by setting small achievable targets, these people were always focused on a goal, and were rewarded when they reached it. Taking baby steps like this and setting smaller goals is a good way to move towards a big goal.
Don’t overwhelm your willpower
Some experts believe that we shouldn’t overwhelm our willpower and self-discipline by attempting to make too many lifestyle changes at once. Certainly, I’m sure we’ve all had friends who’ve tried to quit smoking, lose weight and get fit all at once and who’ve failed. Far better to start exercising your willpower in the way that you would start exercising your muscles — carefully and with small challenges — that way you can gradually develop inner strength.
Record your progress
Keep a diary or a log of your progress — it will serve as a reminder of how far you’ve come and give you encouragement if you’re feeling disheartened. Psychologists have shown that keeping a record can aid compliance in many tasks, such as weight loss or fitness goals. Take time to review your goals and adjust them if necessary as you go. Make sure to reward yourself with something healthy when you achieve your mini goals.
Engage others
Enlist the support of those around you. If family, friends and work colleagues are aware of your goals, they’re much more likely to be supportive and to encourage you to stay on track when you’re struggling. Find a workout mate or a buddy to quit smoking or lose weight with. You’re more likely to keep a workout date if you’re doing the activity with a friend, or you’re a member of a club. For weight loss, there is the Celebrity Slim members section of the website along with the friendly staff at Priceline that provide support and inspiration to help ease your journey towards your goal.