Remember when you woke up to greet a brand new year? You vowed to make big changes, made yourself all kinds of promises for the next 365 days? After one final night of celebrating you decided the time is now. You were so motivated to take action. Change your life. Live better. Now four weeks have gone by and the enthusiasm is waning, you’re wondering if maybe you were wrong – this year isn’t your year… but next year could be. Well, you aren’t alone.
New Year Resolutions By The Numbers:
- 45% of North Americans make New Years Resolutions
- Of those 45% half of them make it their 2019 mission to lose weight or get in shape
- 80% of resolutions fail by the second week in February
- Only 8% of people manage to maintain their goals for the whole 365.
What is it about those magical first six weeks of any given year that empower people to make big changes? And how can you maintain that initial burst of drive to create real changes that last? Read on to discover the steps you can take to be in that 8% and make your resolutions stick!
Tips For Sticking To New Years Resolutions
Be Realistic
You’re all amped up on January 1st and promise that this year is going to be your year! This is going to be the year everything changes, your fresh start, the beginning of the healthiest you ever!
We don’t want to be the wet blanket on your enthusiasm by suggesting that to make real change and have real success you need realistic goals… but we are going to say it anyway. Change takes time.
In a world where so much is accessible instantaneously it’s hard to not want to believe those magazines at the checkout counter that claim eating only fish for five days will help you lose 12 pounds. Unfortunately, these bold claims are just as ridiculous as the tabloids stacked beside them.
If weight loss is on your agenda, plan on losing it slowly; 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week is healthy, generally less restrictive and creates lasting results. Read this blog for more on achieving long-term, sustainable weight loss.
When you hit a plateau and are contemplating throwing in the towel, bear in mind that people who took the slower route were more successful at keeping it off long term, which means they didn’t find themselves making the exact same resolutions at the beginning of the next new year.
Find Your Why
Looking great for bikini season can feel like reason enough to get into shape, but focusing on a goal that extends beyond the physical can truly keep your motivation stoked beyond those initial six weeks. Do you want to run a marathon? Hit 99% of your nutrient targets in Cronometer? Get your diabetes under control? Giving yourself a health-centric goal will help you reap benefits outside rocking that two piece – when you start feeling better you’ll maintain your motivation to keep going.
Count On Someone
It’s no secret that having someone you are accountable to can give you the support you need to succeed when you’re dragging your feet. Suffering on that spin bike is way more fun when your bestie is blowing her bangs off her sweaty forehead and rolling her eyes in your direction when your instructor (who isn’t even breaking a sweat) peppily tells you “Okay, let’s pick up that pace!” Yes, there is comfort in knowing you aren’t the only one secretly planning her demise throughout the struggle.
If sweating in front of your closest friend isn’t for you then there is someone (or something!) who can be your rock and the glorious internet means they can be accessible almost any time from anywhere. Hire a trainer, download an accountability app or join a support group like that of Cronometer’s Facebook group or Reddit page. There are thousands of people on the other end hoping to make changes just like you; individuals willing and enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and cheering you on!
Assess Your Situation
We appreciate that we kind of touched on this one in #1 by recommending you set realistic goals… but this one delves deeper into your physical, mental and geographical situation to (hopefully) give you pause for thought about your lifestyle. Identifying barriers to achieving your goals should be a part of your planning and often overlooked.
Do you have joint pain that limits your ability to run? Signing up for a marathon probably isn’t the best fit and will likely end in pain and discouragement.
Do you want to try a diet with fresh organic farm produce but live in a remote location that doesn’t readily supply these? Eating for your geographical location is incredibly important when diet planning.
Do you want to lose weight but have underlying mental barriers that cause you to overeat when you’re stressed? Seeking professional counsel to understand why you overeat might be the first step before committing to a diet plan – so you can break the cycle and have lasting results.
Track Your Progress
Tracking everything from your food, exercise, weight, sleep, mood and beyond will help to give you a record of your progress. A lot of times people give up on their goals because they don’t see results, but if you track it, you’ll have the data to back it up.
By logging everything in Cronometer, you’ll be able to visualize your progress with Charts. If you’re diligent enough about tracking, you’ll even be able to identify what factors contribute to your progress (or lack there of). You can discover that maybe when you don’t sleep well, you tend to eat more or vice versa. Or when you eat in a way that hits all of your nutrient targets, you tend to exercise more.
In Closing
If you’re thinking about throwing in the towel on your New Years Resolutions we hope you think again. We hope that you find the courage and enthusiasm to push through the down times to end this year knowing that you achieved exactly what you set out to do.
We believe you are capable of truly making this year your year!
