New Year’s Resolutions—they always instill a kind of hope, motivation or encouragement. It’s a new year which means a fresh, new start. Well, that is all fine and wonderful, but then January 2nd rolls around or January 8th or, maybe, it’s now February and your goals for the new year are just as fleeting as the last 10 seconds of 2013.
It’s so easy to say you’ll follow your goal tomorrow, whether it be to go to the gym more, eat better, manage your time more wisely or just be on time, but it’s just not that easy. So, how do you make your New Year’s resolution more manageable and just a bit less daunting?
Make short term goals. They’re less intimidating and easier to achieve; so you will, therefore, be more motivated to keep going. Plus the rewards will come sooner if you stick with it!
Speaking of rewards, reward yourself! What’s more motivating than giving yourself a present!? Just make sure you’re rewarding yourself in a way that doesn’t take away from all of your hard work! If your goal is to make it to the gym more than twice a week, don’t take a break from the gym when it’s already written in your schedule. Instead, reward yourself with a new workout top or a gift card to Pure Barre in Reynolda Village.
If your goal is to eat better, don’t stuff your face with all kinds of junk food. Instead, buy that new song on iTunes you’ve been listening to nonstop on YouTube (ads and all) or, if you must treat yourself, find a healthy dessert or a healthier version of your favorite dish. There are plenty of blogs and forums out there that specialize and do just that!
If it’s managing your time more wisely, don’t slack with your time! Don’t give yourself an hour of free play on the web. Instead, spend time with friends catching up over coffee or roaming the aisles of your favorite grocery store (we all have one!) or favorite local boutique. And if you want to work on being on time, the obvious reward is sleeping in, which is fine, just don’t skip your classes or other important events when you do. We all need sleep…for our sanity and health!
So what happens when you fall off the wagon? Getting off track is all part of the experience, but what’s important is how you get back on it. If you start off by keeping a log of your success, it will be easier to see your progress and to remember how far you’ve already come. One bad day doesn’t equal a bad week and so on, but if you let that happen, then your New Year’s resolutions will become just another January fad. New Year’s Day is a just another day, so if you’ve strayed from your goals remember that tomorrow is another day too; be it the beginning of the week or Wednesday. Good luck with your resolutions this year, collegiettes!