HOW TO PREPARE FOR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
MAKING 2023 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!
As we approach the new year, there’s no better time for self-reflection and to plan for self-improvement. For something as seemingly harmless as setting goals for yourself, then why do people who make them fall short more often than not and quickly!? That’s probably because unlike other things you aim to achieve, those labeled "resolutions" come with cultural baggage: specifically, high expectations that some sort of noticeable big transformation will take place.
That's why for some, New Year's resolutions are the perfect way to kick off a new year, full of optimism and the belief that it's within their power to break bad habits, adopt healthy ones, and otherwise improve their lives. Meanwhile, others see New Year's resolutions as yet another way to set themselves up for failure and disappointment when they inevitably ditch the goal the second week of January. By as early as January 17, most resolution-makers start losing momentum and falling back into old habits, according to USA Today. In the end, some 80% of resolutions fail, leaving people frustrated and disappointed.
But in reality, a New Year's resolution doesn't need to fit into either of those categories. In fact, neither involves a particularly healthy mindset. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, there are plenty of other, more effective ways to make and keep your resolutions. It's absolutely possible to keep your New Year's resolutions—here’s a few tips how.
✨ Tip 1: Set realistic New Year’s resolutions.
The most important way to ensure that your New Year’s resolution is successful is to make an effort to avoid getting overwhelmed. That starts with setting realistic, attainable goals. When you’re planning what you want to achieve in the next year, you should avoid pushing yourself too far or setting too many goals that may bog you down.
That doesn’t mean you can’t be ambitious, but you should try to focus on one or two attainable outcomes. Be sure to keep in mind all the social, professional, and personal obligations you might have, and set goals that you can reasonably expect yourself to stick with and complete.
It may be too difficult or unwieldy to complete some goals in one calendar year. For example, if you want to build new career skills to earn a better salary, you may pursue further education through an online college degree. Since that’s a multi-year process, set your expectations on researching, enrolling, and getting started, not finishing.
Remember: What’s important is making progress. You can always keep it going with next year’s resolution.
✨ Tip 2: Make sure your New Year’s resolutions are clearly defined.
New Year’s resolutions aren’t very useful if they’re too vague. When you’re making yours, consider what you want to get out of your efforts and what you hope to accomplish. What metric can you use to quantify successful completion of your goal? Try to imagine a tangible, definable result, so you have an ending point in mind and so you can assess your progress.
Are you hoping to get in shape? Give yourself something to track: number of pounds to lose, number of miles to jog, amount of weight to bench press. Want to earn more money at work? Set a goal like earning a promotion or raise at your next employee evaluation, pursuing relevant education, or attending a certain number of professional development conferences throughout the year. Want to travel more? Come up with a list of just a couple new places to visit, then plan your trips throughout the year.
When you have a clearly defined goal, you’ll be able to track your progress and keep your motivation high. Just remember tip No. 1 and make sure your goal is attainable.
✨ Tip 3: Break it down and plan ahead.
Once you’ve set a realistic goal for your New Year’s resolution and defined the terms of your success, you can set a plan and get to work.
The best way to do this is to break down your overall goal into manageable, trackable chunks. Establish checkpoints for yourself so you can make sure you’re on track throughout the year, and reward yourself for meeting shorter-term goals.
In many cases, it’s wise to start with smaller, more easily achievable checkpoints. Consider training for a marathon. The end goal is to be able to persevere through a 26.2-mile run, but a proper training regimen begins with much shorter one or two mile jogs. As you make it past these smaller checkpoints, you’ll gain the stamina and confidence to attempt and ultimately overcome larger obstacles.
✨ Tip 4: Take notes and track your progress.
Did you know you’re more likely to keep at your goals if you track your progress directly and specifically to your goals? It’s true and the more attentively you do it, the more effective it is.
For example, if you want to improve your diet, you should take notes on your eating and drinking habits specifically through a food journal. Even if other measurements are relevant (in this case, maybe weight or waist size), they might not be as helpful in terms of keeping you motivated for your specific goal. It’s one more reason why well-defined resolutions are easier to keep.
If you have a goal of exercising every day, for example, you might consider drawing a green check mark on a calendar for each day you were active, and a big red X for days you skipped. Imaginative and artistic tracking systems and visualization can help your progress feel less like a chore and more like a hobby or activity.
After a string of several consecutive days successfully meeting your goal, you’ll be motivated to keep it up so you don’t break your streak. Or, assign a points value for each exercise session, then a multiplier for consecutive sessions then try to break your high score.
When you keep track of your progress, you hold yourself accountable — and you can see the results of your efforts in real time.
✨ Tip 5: Don’t let small lapses bring you down.
You’re likely to stumble a bit throughout the year, especially if you’re making sweeping, life-changing goals. That’s OK. Don’t let it crush your motivation, or you may risk your lapses becoming permanent bad habits.
If you miss a day in your exercise regimen, fall behind on your reading goal, or miss your 4.0 GPA for one semester, you can still complete your goal — as long as you don’t let frustration win. Then, when you achieve your goal, you’ll barely remember the small failures you may have encountered along the way.
In some cases, it may even be desirable to let yourself slip every now and then. The classic example? The cheat day or cheat meal — where you give yourself a brief reprieve from a strict diet and treat yourself to whatever foods you want. The idea is that for some people, the psychological effects of giving in to an unhealthy craving may offset or outweigh the temporary impediment to your fitness progress. If you’re craving a burger and fries or a bowl of ice cream, it’s sometimes better to use it as a reward for your progress than to deny yourself.
The most important thing is to make sure your cheat day or your momentary lapse doesn’t become the norm.
✨ Tip 6: Slow down.
When we think of New Year’s resolutions, we tend to think of big change. Most of our goals are long-term commitments, and some may involve complete changes of lifestyle.
The point is, you’re not going to accomplish your goals overnight. You might not even start seeing big results for weeks or months and once you do, you may encounter long stretches where you plateau and your progress stops completely. This is normal.
It’s vital to remember that you don’t need to achieve your ultimate goal right away. Expecting too much too soon is a sure way to lose motivation, so slow down and enjoy the journey. You made a brave decision to better yourself, and that’s worthy of recognition and celebration.
✨ Tip 7: Get support.
Your New Year’s resolution may be public or personal, but you never have to brave it alone. You can always surround yourself with people or resources to support your efforts and keep you accountable.
If you decide to bring family or friends in on your goals, make sure they’ll be sympathetic and understanding of your goals so they can support you properly. If you know someone who is making a similar New Year’s resolution, consider starting a group to hold each other accountable. Or, if someone you know has achieved the goal that you’re now attempting, ask if they would consider giving you some tips or checking in every now and then.
A final tip that we cannot emphasize enough is: remind yourself of the bigger picture. Making a lifestyle change can be difficult, so set yourself up for success this year by choosing meaningful, actionable goals that will improve your overall well-being. Stay committed to smaller, attainable benchmarks throughout the year to bring about real change in your life.
We want to know more about your goals for 2023! Email us at andrea@hhihospitality.com or reach out to us via social media: @healthyhabithhi
Stay Happy and Healthy Friends,
With Love,
Andrea