How redundant, the most popular resolution made by most every year is to improve their health. So once January rolls around, millions of “fit challenged” will resolve to plan making a commitment of losing a bit of weight, and by default, will exercise more and eat better.
It just makes sense, as obesity has now become an epidemic that’s associated with heart disease and major illness. Nobody wants or enjoys being overweight, or contract some type of byproduct illness. So the resolution is to begin the New Year by getting healthier.
But unfortunately, it’s the same resolution every year. The reason being that it’s usually abandoned because of a lack of a plan, then these goals quickly fade into the back burner as life intercedes.
So why not put a halt to this, why not achieve the goals that you set out, especially one that’s as important as preserving your long-term health. Just follow a few proven guidelines which will increase the likelihood of succeeding.
Define A Clear Goal
What you need is a precisely laid out plan, clarity, and a goal. A specific doable health resolution. So “eat less” is too vague, not refined enough to allow you to lose any weight.
This isn’t real achievement, as it hasn’t been defined. So don’t resolve to just lose a bit of flab. Have a specific plan and then commit yourself to “Lose 30 pounds” by the start of the summer, using “XX” diet plan.
Instead of just stating the ambiguous “I’ll eat healthier,” be more specific such as having three servings of fresh vegetables or fruit for lunch. Whatever your goal, make sure that it’s clearly defined.
Have A Clear Defined End Game
Creating milestones, turning points, becomes critical when you’re wanting to keep any resolution, and not starting over again next January. Dropping 50 pounds or start running 5 days a week are too ambitious of goals.
They’ll take too long to achieve along with needing dedicated planning and execution. Having an “all or nothing” strategy is the biggest reason why most resolutions fail.
So by the end of March, you’re most likely frustrated and nowhere close to achieving your far fetched goals. You’ll have nothing to celebrate, so you give up, and then get distracted with anything but.
So break your health resolution plans down into smaller pieces and milestones, which can be easily achieved and appropriately celebrated, this as frequently as every two weeks or once a month. What you’re doing is building momentum.
Take these baby steps and then your confidence will build once you begin reaching these smaller goals, which then leads to bigger ones, while your resolve grows as well.
Don’t Do Your Resolutions Alone
What’s known is when attacking anything that you want to achieve, such as a weight loss resolution, when diving into doing anything, never do it alone.
Every new attempt will initially hit speed bumps, everything that’s new and unknown will run into roadblocks, meet unforeseen setbacks where most will just give up.
For instance, the best start-up businesses or successful individuals will approach their failures by addressing them, laying out exactly the errors they’ve made, and then get back to reaching their milestones.
Reaching that ultimate success also needs an adviser, mentor, consultant, or expert in the field, such as in the weight loss industry for advice and support.
The end result being that you’re able to achieve what you want once you have the support or the advice from them. Some days, it’ll become difficult to keep motivated, this because of distractions or frustration, this is when you need them.
There’s No Shame
During these times, attempting to do it alone is the wrong strategy. But what most don’t want to do however, is share their resolutions with others, this because of the chance of they failing, or others expecting them to fail.
What we don’t want is the shame of failing again, this in front of our loved ones or mentors. But also realize that one of the biggest reasons why most routinely fail is because of not sharing their resolutions.
Not only should you be sharing them, but you should also be seeking their support, this especially once you hit those rough patches. You can also then share your successes and milestones once you reach them.
The odds are good that you might stumble, but if you have the proper guidance who encourages you, while they also celebrating your victories with you, then your likelihood of success improves.
Ask anyone who’s ever had a new gym membership by themselves, how long it took them before they stopped going to that gym regularly at 6AM in the morning.
Then ask someone else who’s committed to regularly meeting someone at the gym, if they’ve quit. Not many as they motivate each other while not wanting to let each other down.
Making And Keeping Resolutions
Resolutions should be viewed similar to starting a new business. What any new business requires is having a well defined plan, dividing them into clearly defined segments, and then setting up milestones to reach.
Make sure that you seek help from getting the proper support, and then celebrate once reaching certain milestones. Apply these guidelines into your own health resolutions.
What doing so will give you is a better opportunity of succeeding in reaching and achieving your goals, which isn’t stating that it’s easy to do.
It just sounds easy because you’re reading this, but once it comes to real work, taking action, and having the dedication to drop those pounds, then reality sets in and it becomes a little more daunting.
If the resolution has any merit, then it’s worth doing. What’s for certain is that you’ll feel a lot better while living a healthier life, and you’ve accomplished something.