Keeping your promises to yourself!

The New Year has rolled in and there is no doubt that people feel inspired to change. While any day is an opportune day to decide to better yourself or kick a bad habit, the New Year has a sort of magical way of making us feel like we have a fresh start. Well, making the resolution is the easy part. Sticking to the resolution is what’s tough! Most people drop their resolution by the time February arrives. What can we do to improve resolution retention? It’s possible that the people who let their resolutions dissolve had the wrong approach, so I’m going to give you a simple, easy-to-remember guide to keep you on your path!

Don’t overdo it

The biggest mistake that people make is to hit the ground running (more like sprinting) and it goes well the first week, but by the time the second or third week rolls around, things come up, the demands of life increase, bodies get overworked and exhausted, and the resolution begins to fall to the wayside. It happens easily and I’m sure it’s happened to all of us at least once.

So here is what to do, set a realistic goal and approach it step by step. If your goal was to shed some pounds this year, then make small changes at first. Exercise twice a week at a convenient time for you. Aim to lose one pound a week. Trade your juice for water or low-fat milk. Skip dessert. Eat more vegetables. Once you are comfortable with these changes, take it a step further and exercise more frequently or at a more intense rate, etc. Slow changes are the most permanent changes. We must allow ourselves to adjust to the modifications we make little by little.

Talk about your progress

Share your resolution with a close friend or family member from the get-go. Talk about how it’s going, whether good or bad. Bad days will happen and having someone there to support you will make all the difference. Sometimes we need a little genuine advice. It will also be rewarding when you can celebrate reaching small goals because you won’t be celebrating alone. When the big goal is grasped, it will be all the more sweet.

Remember why you wanted it in the first place

Take the time to write a letter to your self. Right now. Yes. Write a letter saying why you want this change, how it will change your life, why not to give up, and the things you will be able to do once you achieve your resolution. You can even include a picture, passage or inspirational quote. Fold it up and put it somewhere accessible but out of sight, like a drawer in your bedside table. When it becomes difficult or you’re drifting from your goal, reach for your letter and read it to remind yourself why you need this for yourself and hopefully it will be enough to get you back on track. It’s a memento from yourself to yourself that will put you in the right state of mind.

 So, to conclude, take your resolution seriously. It is a promise that you have made to yourself and you deserve to keep it and reap the benefits of your change. Remember to be realistic, take it slow, share your journey, keep your goals fresh in your mind and love yourself along the way.