A Study of 800 Million Activities Predicts Most New Year's Resolutions Will Be Abandoned on January 19th.
New Year, new you. More and more people use the new year to set goals, resolutions, and make changes. But after 2-3 weeks a lot of the goals go to the side and people lose their momentum and by March, the enthusiasm we entered the new year with is beginning to taper off. Excuses become routine, and resolutions fade into the background, 6 months in even more have stoped focusing on their resolutions and goals.
Research has shown that while almost half of Americans set New Year's Goals and Resolutions, only 8% of them are successful at achieving them!
If you need help this new year in creating and sticking to your goals here are a few suggestions to help you from a certified and trained Holistic Health Coach, Nikki Lanigan.
Start Small. If you have a goal to meditate everyday start with 3-5 minutes. If you want to start running start with run/walk a mile and work your way up. If you want to start saving more money. Set aside money each time you get paid. Open a savings account if you don't have one yet.
Find Inspiration. Start to reflect on your life and what you want. Sit quietly and ask yourself: What inspires me? What brings me joy? What elicits a response of excitement in me?"
Know Your Excuses. Know what your go to excuses are. Is it because you are too tired? You don't have enough time? You are too stressed to focus on it right now? It costs too much money to eat healthy, I forgot my water to bring to work, my gym clothes, etc. We all tell ourselves stories and make excuses. Schedule your day with your goal and act like it's a meeting.
Find a friend, accountability partner, momentum partner. Tell someone your goals. Have them tell you their's, be there and support each other. Cheer each other on. Call each other out on your BS.
Act on it. After finding your inspiration, determine how often you want to engage in that practice: daily, weekly, biweekly, etc., then schedule it in. Again, coming back to scheduling it in, if you don't schedule something, you're not going to do it.
Success. Set yourself up for success. If you do not go to the gym because you forget your gym clothes, start packing them the night before. If you want to start meditation, wake up earlier, start by 15 minutes and go to bed 15 minutes earlier. If you want to start reading more, buy a book. Leave it setting out so you see it. If you want to start your morning with warm water and lemons, have the lemons set out in a glass bowl or vase so you see them.
Celebrate. Each Friday, celebrate your wins for that week. Get a manicure, go out to eat with friends, family, significant other, go to the movies, go skiing. Big or small, celebrate!
Be compassionate with yourself. Don't get upset if you get off track. Whether you slip on your new way of eating, skip a work out, or whatever it is, just get back to it tomorrow. Success is often about not giving up in spite of rejection and failure, so do not lose heart when you experience a set back, keep working. Some days may require rest, stillness, and be impossible to stay the course. It takes time to build new habits.
If you find yourself regressing constantly or struggling to stick to your goals, accountability can make a huge difference. Seek help from a health coach, a friend, or a like-minded group who can support you on your journey.
Here's to a happy, healthy, and safe new year!
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