Reimagining New Year’s Resolutions… To make them stick!

Time and time again we hit January 1 and promise to ourselves that this will be the year we hit the gym more, eat healthily, remain fully present in our day to day lives, spend less time on our devices, get a promotion and so on, and then…. December 31st hits and we find ourselves doing the same thing once again.

The same resolutions, the same goals. Just another year older and with a year of repeating similar habits over and over again.

Many times, resolutions fail because they aren’t designed to succeed. This may be because it’s a resolution based on what you THINK you should change, not what you WANT to change (uh… hello the fitness industry!), or it may be too vague, or you could be lacking a realistic plan to set these goals into motion.

That’s not to say that all resolutions are bad, in fact, we encourage this moment of time to stop, pause and reflect on the year ahead and how you can fully make the most of it! If you choose to set resolutions, try and match them with your deeper values.

Your personal beliefs and hopes have a key role in sustaining your motivational impetus and keeping you focused. This form of motivation is associated with increased personal well-being.

If you have found that you’ve made the same resolutions over and over again, try and set some “new” ones – even if this is done by tweaking or being more specific in your approach. Think about what is realistic and be honest with yourself. Remember everyone has different lifestyles and we as such, we can’t all have the same resolutions!

When you’re setting a tough goal, no matter what time of year it is, breaking them down into chunks is invaluable in ensuring you are able to reach them. The last thing you want is to overexert yourself and give up by February! Think about what you can do daily, weekly, or even monthly that will help you to work towards your overall vision and go from there.

If you’re finding it harder to stick to your resolution than you initially anticipated – don’t give up, adjust! Adjust! Adjust! Review your timeline for your goals and don’t be afraid to change it so you stick to it. If your goal is to run 3x a week but you’re feeling fatigued, take a day off when you need it. Listen to your bed, rest up, and recharge so you don’t completely wipe yourself out! Life happens, things change and we are human! The key is being able to adapt to what’s going on.

January 1st provides us with a blank slate that we get to choose what we do with. If you’re making resolutions, make them align with your values, and have clarity about what you can achieve.