Many of us make new year’s resolutions and commit to giving up alcohol, chocolate or other sugary foods or begin an exercise regime to help us feel and look better. Other popular resolutions include saving for a big occasion such as a wedding, moving house or reducing our debt.
But with January behind us, this is the time when our new year’s resolutions might start to slip a little. We’ve put together some useful tips to help you stay focused and keep on track with your commitments.
Be realistic
You might have been motivated enough at the start of January to decide to give up cake altogether. But now you’re regretting it and miserable at the thought of never having your favourite bakery treat again. Instead of denying yourself something in its entirety, commit to reducing the amount of sugar or refined foods that you eat. This is easier to stick to and you still get to reward yourself for achieving your goal.
Remember your reason
If you started cycling to feel and sleep better, remembering this will encourage you to stick to it. By now you will (hopefully) be seeing the benefits so instead of giving up, use this outcome to continue with your resolution.
It’s also helpful to think of these as long-term changes instead of spontaneous goals which will help switch your mindset and make it easier to incorporate them into your daily life.
Measure your achievements
Whatever your goal, it’s often a good motivator to track your progress. Whether that’s how many miles you can now run, how often you set aside for a meditation or yoga practice each week or how much money you’ve managed to save.
If you’ve committed to sorting out your finances, track your account balances each week and tick off short-term goals as you go along, ensuring that you set clear budgets along the way. Managing your money could also include setting a spending limit on your weekly shop or changing utility suppliers.
Celebrate your achievements
This doesn’t mean eating a whole tub of ice cream because you’ve managed six weeks without dessert but be kind and reward yourself for managing to stick to your resolution. It could be allowing yourself a glass of wine on a Friday evening, ordering your favourite takeaway one night a month or buying yourself a treat such as a new book or beauty product once in a while.
New year’s resolutions shouldn’t make us feel miserable or that we’re missing out. Being too strict can set us up for a fall but by following these tips we can feel good about achieving our goals whilst still enjoying an occasional reward.