You are now in the third month of your New Year Resolution… how’s it going? Statistically speaking, roughly 64% of resolution makers made it to February, 46% will make it through June, and a meager 8% of people will be successful with their resolution (meaning: it was carried out through the whole year). How can you be a part of that 8%?
The only real way to keep your New Year’s resolution is to make it a long-term habit and part of your lifestyle. For example, if your resolution was to exercise three days each week, build it into your schedule to go to a fitness class on Tuesdays, take a 45 minute walk or jog on Thursdays, and play tennis with a partner on Sundays.
If you’re still going strong, good for you! Perhaps some of the tips below will help you last even longer. If you’ve already “given up”—don’t worry—you can still get back on the horse! There’s no limit on how many times you can restart, update your goals, review your plan, and revamp it to make it attainable and exciting for you. If you’re going strong, or if you’re struggling to keep up with your resolution, take a look at these tips to continue on with your New Years Resolution:
1. Reevaluate your plan.
Is it working? Are you struggling or bored? Have you given up altogether? What aspect of the resolution caused you to give up? Do you need to downsize your plan to be more attainable? Or is it no longer challenging, and you need to grow your goal?
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2. Acknowledge your progress.
Whether you made it a few days, or you’re still going strong three months in, odds are you made at least a little progress. Look at the benefits of your time committed to your goals, and realize how that could be compounded to keep you going.
3. Figure out what is holding you back.
Whether you need to start over, or just think you have more potential to unlock, figure out what it is that’s holding you back. It could be as simple as having uncomfortable shoes—replace them! It could be as complex as having a medical issue—work with your doctor to find the best way to overcome that challenge is. Once you’ve figured out what your present hurdle to jump is, make a plan to fix it.
4. Rewrite your goals in a positive light.
All too often, we write our goals in a negative light. For example, a goal might be, “stop eating junk food” or “cut back on junk food”—instead, rewrite it in positive, encouraging terms like, “eat healthy” or “nourish my body”. Rather than saying, “Lose weight” a positive statement to exchange it for might be, “Exercise 4x per week”.
5. Don’t beat yourself up.
If you’ve already given up on your goal, or feel like you haven’t made as much progress as you thought you would, don’t take a negative attitude with yourself. Don’t dwell on what you perceive as failure. Focus on the positive of what you’ve already done, and what you can do.
We may be three months into the year—but there’s till nine to go.
Share with us in the comments or on our Facebook page your progress with your resolutions. How are you coming along?
