We are a few days into the New Year and it’s time to get working on those resolutions! Let’s make sure you have doable New Year’s Resolutions this year.
I’ve tried every New Year’s Resolution out there that somehow pertained to “this year I’m going to lose the weight.” And every year, I ate “perfectly” in January…and then February rolled around. And who could say no to Superbowl food or Valentine’s chocolate? I couldn’t. I had good intentions, but I simply wasn’t making resolutions that would stick.
The problem with my resolutions were that they were either too vague, or too big and daunting to actually achieve. After trying to lose 15 pounds every year, how could a new year be any different? This is why I think it’s important to make doable New Year’s Resolutions. Attainable goals. Actionable steps. Start by making simple changes to your daily habits so that after 30 days, the habit is engrained and it’s easy to maintain. Have you seen this TED talk on trying something new for 30 days?
I have some ideas for you to help you make doable New Year’s Resolutions for your health this year. I’ll be working on number one this January so it is part of my everyday routine come February.
Each morning, decide on one or two self-care practices for the day.
Committing to daily self-care practice will improve so many different aspects of your life, from your mood to your relationships to your health to your fulfillment with life. Which is why I believe it is very valuable to make self-care a habit. A major benefit of committing to self-care is that you aren’t stuck with any particular task. You can change your self-care practices on a daily basis. One day it might be to meditate and write in your journal. The next day it might be to take a dance class and make a healthy meal. Be intentional about caring for yourself and see the changes slowly happen!
Add in instead of restricting.
Saying you will give up coffee for an entire year is unlikely to stick. But, adding in a cup of herbal tea everyday could be a fun new addition to your daily routine. And drinking tea in the afternoon will naturally decrease your coffee intake, slowly but surely. Doesn’t that sound a lot easier? Use this technique with any food or drink – add in a green vegetable during every lunch, a protein ball for afternoon snack, or a glass of water 30 minutes before every meal. Make less room for certain unhealthy practices by adding in new, healthy practices.
Pick one meal that you’d like to upgrade.
Instead of overhauling your diet completely in January, only to go back to your normal unhealthier diet in February, how about just working on one meal at a time? If you can make sure that one meal of your day is healthy, it will slowly start improving your health, and won’t leave you feeling deprived. Extreme restriction (aka dieting) won’t last, but a simple change to one meal a day is much more likely to stick all year round…maybe even motivating you to move onto another meal once you feel confident in your first healthy meal.
{Want to start with breakfast? Join us for the free healthy breakfast challenge.}
Commit to moving your body everyday.
Notice how I just said moving your body – not working out, not walking, nothing specified. Just make sure to move! Our bodies are meant to move, not sit at a desk all day. The movement doesn’t have to happen all at once either – it can be bursts of five minutes at a time. Find simple movements that you can do anywhere, whether it’s just walking around your whole office floor once an hour, doing high kicks while you are boiling water in the morning, stretching while watching your favorite sitcom. Just start moving your body and don’t put so much pressure on yourself to do crazy intense workouts, especially if you don’t enjoy them.
Get the support you need to make your health goals happen this year.
I’m not just saying this because I’m a health coach, but because I’m a health coach, I have witnessed and benefitted from the power of support and accountability. It’s hard to make real change on your own! It’s much easier if you have someone to set realistic goals with, report back to about those goals, and have a cheerleader. The first time I made real changes to my health was in a group health program, and I made real changes to my business with the help of a business coach. Whether you hire a professional, join a group, or you grab an accountability buddy, I highly advise not trying to go at it alone! (The Real Food First Community is a great place to start).
There are plenty more options for doable New Year’s Resolutions, so just sit down and take some time to see how you can make real changes to your health this year. Because once you get this whole health thing in check, your platform will be strong enough to lead you wherever you want to go in life.
