It’s the end of another year which means many of you will be setting new year’s resolutions for 2021. It’s probably no surprise to you that the majority of new year’s resolutions revolve around three main topics: fitness, weight loss, and overall physical health. But did you know that 80% of new years resolutions fail...by February?!
Here at Edgemont Chiropractic Clinic, our staff and patients are no strangers to the benefits of getting stronger and improving overall physical health. So here are 6 tips for making your new year’s resolutions stick this year and help you make 2021 your strongest year yet!
SET SMALLER, MORE MEASURABLE GOALS - The temptation and desire to completely overhaul ALL of your habits is hard to avoid. If your desired goal seems like it is lightyears away, it may be too big of a goal (at least for now). So if you want to eventually run a marathon, start with setting the goal to run 5k, 10k, etc. Achieving these smaller, more realistic goals will help motivate you to stay on track and continue to work towards your larger goals.
PLAN THE WORK, WORK THE PLAN - Whatever your end goal may be, start by making a plan on how you’re going to get there. What steps are necessary for you to achieve your goals? Write them down and stick to the plan until your goal is reached. Planning can help make your goal and the steps it takes to get there more clear, making it easier to achieve. The plan may be tweaked and modified along the way but a goal without a plan is just a wish.
HAVE SOMEONE TO HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE - Achieving your goals requires sustained action and it can be hard to hold yourself accountable, especially when the going gets tough. So having someone in your corner to cheer you on and who isn’t afraid to be honest with you can be incredibly helpful, especially with larger goals. So find a supportive friend, join a Facebook group of people with similar goals, or find someone who wants to work towards the goal with you so you can hold each other accountable.
DON’T BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF - In his book ‘Atomic Habits,’ James Clear says that habits are like trees. Breaking bad habits is like uprooting a tree, and creating a good habit is like cultivating a small sapling. Saplings, like habits, take time to grow and require patience, care, and realistic expectations. Conversely, uprooting a tree is no easy task either. Nobody is perfect, so if you miss a workout or eat an extra slice of pizza it doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re human. So don’t be so hard on yourself and get back on track the next day.
FIND OUT YOUR “WHY” - What is your reason for setting your goals? Sometimes your reason or “why” is more important than the goal itself. Because if you simply set a goal to run a marathon, then what happens after the race is over? When setting goals think of the bigger picture. “I want to do [blank] BECAUSE I want to be able to play with my kids into my later years, live a healthier lifestyle, spend more time outside, etc.” Having a “why” will make your goals more meaningful and help your new habits stick.
CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE SMALL ONES - Don’t get caught up on creating something perfect, focus on slight improvements over time. When you’re starting out, take inventory of where you are at and use that as a reference point along your journey to where you want to be. This will help keep even the smallest improvements into perspective as you continue to work towards your end goal. Plus it will keep things fun and motivating as you tick off those little wins along the way.
Remember, creating new habits takes time and achieving meaningful goals doesn’t just happen overnight. So use these tips along your journey to make 2021 your best year yet. As always, the Edgemont team will be here to help with any aches and pains that you may get along the way!
