Get Your Healthy Resolutions Back on Track
If you find yourself wavering on your resolutions, and the winter weather has you hibernating, you’re not alone. When the cold strikes, it’s easy to curl up under a blanket and let your New Year’s resolutions slide. remember that sometimes you need a plan B. Rather than beat yourself up, formulate an action plan to get back on track.
How to Get Back on Track With Your New Year’s Resolutions
Have a plan of attack, Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals
You might have started the New Year with a goal of getting healthier. Sorry, but that alone isn’t going to cut it and is probably why you’re feeling like you need a resolution reboot right about now. It’s important to know how you are going to get from point A to point B. Let’s say it is your goal to live a healthier lifestyle this year. What are you going to do to make that happen? What do you want to accomplish? Exercise more, eat healthier foods, take vitamins and supplements on a regular basis, all of the above? This is where you set S.M.A.R.T. goals. See Achieve Long-Term Weight Loss S.M.A.R.T. goals are more effective at reaching a specific goal by mapping the process to attain it. S.M.A.R.T. goal do this by making them Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound.
Once you have determined the basic components of your healthier lifestyle, figure out how you are going to make that happen. Write 30 minutes of exercise time into your daily schedule, for a specific time, so that you actually do it.
Example –
Resolution – exercise more
Schedule – Yoga class 8:00 am M-W-F, Walking 1hr. T-T-S
Note: Have clothes ready for yoga class the night before and by the door before you leave for work.
Confirm walking with neighbor the night before.
By putting more action into your plan, you make it more real and able to accomplish and less likely to blow it off if you are having a hectic day and in a moment of frustration change your mind. Make yourself accountable for your decision.
Make A Small Change Strategy.
Taking on too much of a change is a surefire way to ensure failure. Before the end of the last year you may have jotted down quite a big list of things you wanted to improve in the new year. It is not unusual to be very enthusiastic about making big changes before you actually have to get started to do them. But once the New Year begins a long list can be a bit daunting and even overwhelming.
Take a good look at that list and assign each item a priority in that list from most important to least important. Also group together the things on your list that work together to accomplish a big goal. For example – Eating better, watching calories, cutting back on sugar, drinking more water, and exercise, all work together to accomplish a goal of losing weight and getting healthier. However trying to work on all these goals at the same time can be overwhelming. A good place to start it to decide which things you can work on right away and what things you can add as you go along.
For example, you may want to start making changes in your diet first accomplishing small changes that start to show results. Commit to a 30-day period, that one small change will yield some noticeable changes in your energy level as well as an improvement in your motivation. This will often encourage you to make more changes, like adding in exercise once you get some momentum going. Continue to Set small goals that you gradually increase. These will become habits or resolutions you keep. See Healthy Eating Resolutions you can keep for great first steps to improving your health.
Making adjustments to your lifestyle can make a big difference.
De-clutter
Are you overwhelmed by a messy house, do you often put off today what can be done another day?
Clutter and mess cause stress, and over time, stress increases your risk of a host of health woes. That means clearing out the garage or attic, donating clothing you no longer wear, or organizing items you want to keep are all ways to improve your health! There is something very empowering about taking charge of the clutter in your life.
Say So Long to Multitasking
Are you forgetting to give yourself some “YOU” time? Are you the one that everyone counts on all the time that there is little time left for yourself? Getting a lot done in one day is great until you push everything for yourself aside to be there for everyone else. YOU are important to! You may be interested to know that research suggests we’re more productive (and less harried) when we do one thing at a time. Slow down and get more done! Ask for help, get your family involved with sharing the responsibility. Delegate more at work if possible. You may be surprised at how helpful they can be.
Overall, Give yourself a break and know that it’s okay to have a resolution take some time to show improvement.
It’s never too late to start again!
