Ok, so you can see the fresh new year approaching and you’re starting to wonder about some BIG thing you can do, some things you want to stop, or some BIG thing you especially want to do in 2018. Instead of just making random wishes for how you want your life to be, how about you approach your New Year Resolution in a completely NEW way?
“A goal without a plan is just a wish” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French writer
It sounds simple, but it sums up why most new year resolutions don’t make it past the first week! Follow this 7-step process to a successful New Year Resolution.
1. Determine YOUR PURPOSE for a new year resolution
Is it to lose weight? That isn’t a purpose, that is a vague idea of something you’d like to do! Get real with yourself. Why do you want to lose weight? We talk about this a lot at Active8me. When you truly determine your purpose or your ‘WHY’ for losing weight (or any fitness goal) then you’ll be off to a better start than usual. There is psychology and neuroscience behind this, but in short – figuring out what you want to do in 2018 is half the story. Figuring out WHY you want it is what will drive you from the inside in a deeper and more powerful way.
2. Setting a goal helps you work out WHAT TO DO or TO STOP DOING
“If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time” – Zig Ziglar
Be strategic with your goal. It’s pointless to be wishy washy with a goal and just ‘hope’ that you’ll somehow make it happen. When the destination is clear, you know exactly where you’re heading and can navigate the paths to get there. Then at each cross road, you have the chance to make a choice. Ask yourself, will this choice lead me closer to my goal? Or, will it take me further away?
3. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
Turn your wishes into reality with good planning. So that you know exactly how you will do what you want to do differently this year. Start small and work your way up to bigger things. Your new year resolution can be as grand as you wish, but it doesn’t mean that it has to occur in one giant leap. These little changes will add up to big changes overall as they compound. (Remember to make your goal SMART – Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Rewarding, Timely).
4. BE SMART and use every available resource to achieve your new year resolution
We are all busy and we all have the same 24 hours in day, so it’s up to you to get the most out of it. If you want to eat better, move more and transform your body (and life) into a healthy existence then get smart and make your life easy.
Take the Active8me app for example…
Why waste your time scouring the internet for recipes? Or searching through random Youtube workout videos and being bamboozled by conflicting information from health and fitness hacks? Get the Active8me app where everything is customised for you in one convenient place and where you can feel confident that the programs have been created for you by experts in their fields – Olympic athletes, dieticians, exercise scientists and doctors.
5. GET REAL and avoid setting yourself up for failure
If you don’t like something, don’t want to do it or don’t want to give it up…then DON’T! It may seem like a weird recommendation to make, but we want to see you succeed. Because the more success you experience, the more momentum you create towards achieving greater things. It’s the classic snowball effect! Instead, try substituting good with bad, some of the time instead of all of the time.
It’s your resolution – YOU make the rules. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Make it about balance and healthy rewards and we promise, you will gain more benefits than if you went into all-out deprivation or restriction!
6. DON’T DO IT ALONE
Did you know that social support is the number one factor in someone’s fitness journey success? So, gather your friends to join you on your journey. Make yourself accountable. Make a public commitment. Often being accountable is a great driver to avoid failure. It is also a great tool in seeking support. Support in any journey, but particularly weight loss, is a key factor in not only initial success, but also maintaining that achievement.
7. TRACK Your Progress
Achieving something is better than nothing. Plus, you only fail if you don’t try! Get over the ‘all or nothing’ mentality by tracking how far you have moved, improved or been willing to keep trying. Keep in mind that progress is not always linear. Some people achieve instant gains and then plateau. While others feel it takes forever to see improvements, then suddenly achieve rapid breakthroughs. The key is to be consistent and patient.
There you have it…a 7-step process to help you achieve success with your new year resolution.
Do you want to stop making the same resolution every year? Do you want to be amongst the 8% who actually follow through and turn their wishes and thoughts into action and transformation? Do you want this year to be different? If you do … then utilise these tips.
