Whether you’ve made a new year resolution to learn something new, increase your daily step count, eat more veggies, read more books or – our personal favourite – drink more water, sticking to your new plan can be tricky. We all start off with great intentions, but then life gets in the way – or, let’s be honest, we get distracted and give up!
If you want to get your resolutions back on track, need a bit of mid-month motivation, or are still deciding what your new year goals are going to be, we’ve got some handy tips to make it all less overwhelming – and make it more likely that you’ll achieve them…
Make it enjoyable
It may seem obvious, but if you enjoy doing something, you’re more likely to keep doing it. Make things as enjoyable as possible – whether that means creating a pop-tastic running playlist or arranging your veggies in a fancy pattern on your plate – and it makes things easier to stick to. Don’t forget if one of your goals is to drink more water, or cut down on sugary drinks, Macb is sugar-free (and, refreshingly fruity) which makes it deliciously easy to get that goal!
Don’t compare yourself to others
We’ve all got at least one motivated friend who leaps out of bed at 6am on New Year’s Day and runs 10k. By mid-February they’ll have mastered a new language, perfected Thai cookery and be thinking about writing a novel. They’re super-organised and, to be honest, make everyone else feel a bit rubbish. Guess what? You don’t have to keep up with them. If your goal is to work your way up to walking 10,000 steps a day, then go for it – don’t worry about what other people are doing, or you may end up feeling unmotivated.
Start small
Hands up who’s made a massive list of new year’s resolutions, gone all out with them for about a week and then totally given up? Same here. It’s all too easy to make a huge list of changes you want to achieve, but trying to do them all at once can get overwhelming. Start small and keep things realistic. Make a list of achievable goals and add to it as the year goes on. Regularly achieving your goals is great motivation and feeling good about getting things done will help you keep going and achieve those bigger goals.
Try, try, and try again
Accidentally scoffed an entire packet of biscuits? Decided to skip your daily walk because it was raining? Ended up binge watching that new show and got a take-away instead of making a healthy dinner? It happens. Just because you miss a day or two of your resolutions, doesn’t mean you’ve messed up for the whole year! It’s OK to start over – don’t give up, give it another go.
Dare to be different
Just because your new year’s resolutions are a bit unusual, it doesn’t mean they don’t count! If your goal for 2023 is to learn baton twirling, take up opera singing or just wear pink every Wednesday, go for it! If it’s something you’ve always wanted to do, give it a go – if it’s something you love, or even something silly that just makes you happy, you’re more likely to stick with it. Resolve to be different and live bold – see where it takes you!
Don’t do it on your own
Find a friend who’s got similar goals and buddy up. Not only will it make things more fun, but you’ll keep each other motivated. Plus, it’s easier to stick to a routine – and more difficult to make excuses – if you’re meeting a mate to go for a run or to go to your pottery class.
Plan it out
Make a plan covering what you want to do and how you’ll do it. Maybe include some goals to work towards throughout the year or results you’d like to see by certain dates. Having a plan to refer to will help you keep focused and make it easier to see how well you’re doing. Use a planning app, make a spreadsheet, write it all down in a fancy notebook in glittery purple ink, it doesn’t matter just make a plan!
Treat yourself
Remember how good it felt to get a gold star sticker at school? A little reward for doing well can give you a bit of a buzz – and help you feel as if you’re making progress. Work out some wee rewards to give yourself when you hit your goals – and if you want to make yourself a chart and cover it in gold stars, do it!
And remember, it’s all about balance! 😉