January has come and gone again! For some of us, this might not be anything special, but for others, it’s the perfect time to put some New Year’s resolutions into long-term action. The hardest part about resolutions is keeping them. It can be hard to begin new healthy habits (or to get rid of old bad ones), but it’s not impossible. Below are some ways to make sure your resolutions become habits!
Set Short-Term Goals
Let’s say that your New Year’s resolution is to start working out more. If you’re someone who doesn’t regularly work out, this is going to be hard to jump into. Start small! Tell yourself that you’re going to start off with going to the gym just twice a week. Once you start getting more comfortable you can add more days/time to your goal. If you start off too big it might almost feel like a chore to go. This is where a lot of people begin to neglect their resolutions. Starting with small goals helps you to feel more accomplished. You’ll eventually want to add to those smaller goals so you can feel even more accomplished and proud of yourself.
Reward Yourself
Giving yourself rewards after you get parts of resolutions done is another way to stay motivated to keep them. For example, reward yourself with something you like after you complete your gym goals for the week. If you’re an iced coffee lover, reward yourself with one after your goals are achieved. It doesn’t matter if your rewards are big or small, what’s important is that they give you an incentive to want to complete your goal. Rewards are little reminders that you achieved what you wanted to!
Remind Yourself of Your “WHY”
There’s a reason for your resolutions. WHY did you want to start that resolution? The “why” is so important to maintaining your resolutions for the long-term. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, you’ll feel less inclined to do it. Your reason doesn’t have to matter to anyone except yourself. Maybe you want to go to the gym more because you want to feel stronger. Maybe you want to start eating more fruits so that you’ll have more energy throughout the day. Whatever your reason is for your resolution, DON’T FORGET IT! Write it down, set a reminder, and put it into action!
Resolutions only work if you do. Keeping yourself motivated may be easier said than done, but it’s not impossible. The most important part of your resolutions is the reason why you’re starting them. You’ll feel amazing once you’ve accomplished them and with these steps, it shouldn’t be too impossible! Let’s start the New Year on a high note with some resolutions. You got this!