Simplify Your New Year's Resolutions

Today is January 1st 2024. The very first day of a brand new year! A leap year, no less. There's something about even numbered years that deludes me into thinking it's going to be a good one and I hope I'm right this time. 

The number one way most people expect to have control over making it a good year is by setting goals to achieve and habits to stick with. This time of year makes you want to completely change your life with a new focused mindset, healthy habits and things you want to improve upon. You're determined to do a 180° on your life and show up as your best self this year! Here are a few tips on how to actually do it:

One at a Time

Research shows that introducing new habits one at a time is the most reliable way to make them stick. So, instead of changing everything all at once why not set a new goal for each month of this year? This way, you have a whole month to solidify your routine before moving onto the next habit. It also gives you a fresh boost of motivation every month to keep you dedicated all year long. 


Consistency is Key

Motivation is nice and will get you off the ground running with passion and enthusiasm for whatever you're working on. However, motivation alone will not keep you consistent. Even with strong reasons for doing something, your motivation on some days will simply not be strong enough. That's because people are not machines. Say your goal is to work out every day and one day you get sick. You miss a day of working out because you were not well enough. The next day, you feel like you've failed your challenge because you didn't work out yesterday. Your motivation for continuing declines. 


Don't Be Afraid to Suck

It's okay to start off rubbish at things. Allow yourself to be a beginner. Started going running but can only run for 1minute at a time? Don't lose faith - you'll soon be running 5mins, then 15, then you're on your way to a half hour jog! Starting off not very good means you can see a more obvious improvement over time. You'll look back at where you started and be so proud of how far you've come! But, these things take time. Learning a new language starts with one word. Learning a musical instrument starts with one note. Everyone begins at the beginning. Don't expect yourself to begin at the middle already. 





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