How are those New Year’s Resolutions going?

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So you set some goals for the New Year. That’s cool, but how are they really going? At Proximal50 Bismarck we aren’t the New Year’s Resolutions type and here’s why.

Oftentimes the problem with New Year’s resolutions (or goals) is within the level of the goal. Basically setting a goal that isn’t realistic for you to follow through on. Then when you don’t get the desired outcome you feel defeated and negative feelings are now associated with this goal. And that kills any motivation you may have! So how do you overcome that?

 

Set tangible (smaller) goals

These goals should feel like just a bit of a stretch from where you currently are. Yet at the same time, something that gives you confidence in completing. So basically don’t go too big with your goal you can’t reach; and don’t go too small that when you do, it doesn’t mean much.

Goal: daily workouts

Instead of saying you are going to workout every day of the week; think about where you are starting and then add one to two days to your current workout schedule. 

So if you are not working out regularly, aim for two workouts a week for the first month. Then when that becomes a habit, increase your goal to three to four days per week since you now know you have the space in your schedule to get the workout in.

Alternative: daily movement

A goal of daily movement, gives you the flexibility of where/how your workout is executed. Plus this can help your mindset when your body needs lower impact or more rest!

The Monday Campaigns has some amazing research about breaking down your goals. 

 

Evaluate the change

How much change are you trying to make? When it comes to health and wellness goals, it’s rare that there’s one small thing we are looking to change. 

It can feel overwhelming because we’re usually looking at the bigger picture of all the things we need to do. That’s why we have beef with new year’s resolutions, they’re too focused on the big picture. This often causes us to stop right there, losing all motivation for change. So how can we start making change without feeling like we have a mountain to climb?

Change is hard, start small. 

 

Just like making a goal that isn’t doable, adding too much change into our routine is going to make every goal harder to accomplish. It limits your capacity and causes our focus to be divided. Any sort of change is something that we psychologically need space to work through! 

The Fix:

  1. Prioritize your goals. What feels most doable? What’s the most important? Assess everything you thought of and rank them!
  2. Start with only one goal at first. Put everything you have into making this goal a habit (the goal should be doable enough that this is something that can be a part of your routine!)
  3. Once you feel confident and have worked this goal into your daily/weekly life — you can tackle the next goal, and so on.

Goal: I’m going to start exercising and eating better

A phrase we’ve all heard and have all said. Not only are those goals too vague (get specific!) but they both are pretty big goals. 

Alternative: Pick one

Define what it means to you and get specific. Like how many days you will exercise, or what does ‘eating better’ mean to you. Focus on that one goal until it’s a habit — as long as that needs to be. THEN, start working on the next one.

 

New Year's Resolutions motivation 

 

Stay motivated

Some people seem to have infinite amounts of motivation, while others struggle to find the motivation needed to get done what’s already on the list — let alone take on something new. Motivation can come and go and is influenced by several factors. Here are some tips to help with motivation:

  1. Focus on seeing success as possible. Seek out others that have gotten to the place you want to be and use their success as your motivation. This is why setting smaller, attainable goals help. You get to experience success along that way and it keeps you motivated. (sound familiar?!)
  2. Figure out how you like to receive praise. Do you accomplish more if you are receiving encouragement versus ways to improve? Example: Awesome job completing that workout. vs Next time let’s make sure to focus on our heart rate.
  3. View what you are doing as something you GET to do, instead of something you HAVE to do. This helps you connect the benefits to the task or activity and that helps you keep your focus. Learn more about gratitude in our Emotional Wellness Blog.
  4. Eliminate “Can’t” from your vocabulary when trying to complete a task. We’ve all heard this before, but if you start something by not believing you can do it, chances are you won’t!

Using these techniques will help you maintain motivation and allow you to create HABITS. Habits are actually the ultimate goal because once something becomes a habit, it no longer takes motivation (or nearly as much as it used to) to get it done 😉

So if those New Year’s resolutions don’t seem to be sticking come check us out. If you need help getting started, setting goals, or just need some support and guidance we’d love to help!