2018 is well underway and I think it is time to evaluate how our New Year ‘s resolutions are going. It is inevitable that some of our passion for that rigorous fitness routine and our commitment to healthy eating will have waned. My New Year’s resolutions this year were to eat healthier, run more regularly and keep a diary. I have kept to these, but with varying degrees of success. I have found that the hardest part of my New Year’s resolutions has been getting myself into a new routine and not letting myself slip back into old habits. In some ways, I have managed to achieve this. For example, I now make a menu and a shopping list once a week to make sure I always have my meals planned, in order to stop myself being tempted by lunch in the Stannary or a meal out (although this has not always been successful!). Also, I run twice a week with a running club, so I have managed to run more regularly then I would do on my own. Writing a diary has been the biggest challenge as it is something extra to do in the evenings and I have found it surprising how determined I need to be, just to make that little bit of extra effort.
Despite this, I have just about managed to keep going but sometimes, when you are stressed or feeling a bit down, it can be hard to motivate yourself to keep to these goals. However, there is plenty of time to get back on track, so here are five essential tips that will hopefully motivate you to keep up with your resolutions.
1. Be Organized
I have found that being organized is one of the most helpful ways to keep your resolutions. It is much easier to stick to a plan then just doing something as and when you feel like it (I never really feel like going on a run), so a routine can really help you to achieve your goals. Giving your life a bit more structure can help you find time for more things, especially when you feel as though everything is piling up. Even if you have to make yourself a fitness timetable, I am sure it will be worth it for how good you will feel for sticking with your goals.
2. Make it Fun
You are never going to stick to a New Year’s resolution if it’s boring to do, therefore thinking of ways to make it fun can really help you to achieve your goal. If your goal is to keep fit, mix up your workouts, learn new exercises at the gym and run different routes. Don’t be afraid to get your friends involved, why not make it a fun challenge to see who can make the nicest ‘healthy’ snack or you can simply get everyone together for a walk! Cornwall has an amazing coastline that I am sure everyone will love exploring. This will hopefully make achieving your goals more exciting and stop your routine becoming too monotonous.
3. Keep it Interesting
This is a similar tip to the one above. But it is really important that you don’t let your resolution get boring. Change up your routine every now and again to keep yourself going. Use different coloured pens to write in your diary or try out new healthy recipes. These are just examples but just change it up once and a while, sticking to the same routine can be boring and will not help you to sit to your resolution.
4. Set Yourself a Challenge
I think that another way to keep your New Year’s resolution going is to give yourself a challenge or a goal to work towards by the end of the year. If you feel you are working towards something, then it is more likely that you will stick to it. In my case, I am going to enter a 10k, so I can see how far I have come with my running. A challenge can become an incentive to keep you going and will enable you to keep your enthusiasm even when your goal seems unachievable.
5. Remember Why You Made Resolutions
It is essential to remember why you made these resolutions. There is a reason why you set yourself these goals at the beginning of the year. These goals were (and hopefully still are) important to you and indicate areas in your life that you would like to improve. They show that you are willing to push yourself. Think about how amazing you will feel when it is done and you have fulfilled your resolutions
I hope these tips will help you to keep on track with your New Year’s resolutions. Although life is busy and we all struggle at times to stick to the goals we have set ourselves, we must remember that we set these goals for a reason. So keep going everyone, remember you can do it, it just takes a little effort.