You’ve given up on your New Year’s resolution. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, the University of Scranton found that only 8% of people actually achieve their “new year, new you”. Maybe you didn’t give it all you got. Maybe you didn’t have a plan of action. Either way, it’s not too late to put a plan in place and recommit to your goals. If you gave up but are ready to give it your all once again, this one’s for you!
Make it Tangible
You want to lose 30 pounds. Maybe that’s an ideal weight for you, but maybe it isn’t. Don’t focus on the weight you want to lose and instead focus on what you need to do in order to lose it. For instance, instead commit to eliminating a bad dietary habit.
Tip: Make a list of everything you should omit from your diet and work towards eliminating them by the end of the week.
See It
Out of sight, out of mind. You need something to constantly remind you of your commitment that you can see every day. Make a vision board or set a reminder on your phone every morning. You need to be constantly reminded of your goal so that you can hold yourself accountable when given the choice of completing it or not.
Tip: Create a vision board containing photos and quotes that motivate you.
Believe In Yourself
As cliche as this sounds it is of paramount importance if you want to achieve your goal. Don’t set a resolution that you never thought you were capable of in the first place. Make a goal that you have full faith in your ability to achieve and never lose faith in yourself.
Tip: Write your goal using “I will” and post it somewhere. Any time you refer to your goal say “I will” before naming it.
Move Dirt
“Training is like moving a pile of dirt. Some days you use a shovel, some days you use a spoon but as long as you move some dirt, you’re headed in the right direction.”
-John Welbourn
Every day do something, big or small that gets you closer towards your goal. If your goal is to get into the gym more, go every time your schedule allows. Some days you will PR. Some days you will stretch and recover. Just keep moving dirt.
Tip: Keep a daily journal of your progress. At the end of each day give yourself a 1 to 10 rating on your commitment to your goal.
Forgive Yourself
Slip ups will happen. You failed, but you’re not a failure. If you mess up, forget about it and get right back on track. If you let one mistake derail you from being better, did you ever truly want to improve?
Tip: Don’t schedule when you’re going to mess up, but instead let them happen when they’re unavoidable and get right back on track immediately.
Tell Others
Let others know your goal. You have to be careful with this as it’s inevitable an unhappy, out of shape in-law will tell you how hard it’s going to be and fill you with self doubt. Find those friends who believe in you and tell them your goals. Join a forum like ours at Power Athlete that’s filled with people focused on personal betterment. This will not only keep you accountable, but may inspire others to change with you.
Tip: Tell 3 of your most supportive friends about your goal and what you plan on doing to get there.
Get Help
Asking for help can make a world of difference. If you have performance or body composition goals, hiring me as your nutrition coach can save you a lot of wasted time and energy and put you on the direct path to your goals. Let me make a game plan that you simply follow. In doing so you will also receive professional accountability and troubleshooting.
Tip: Contact me to find out how I can help you with your goals.
If you’re like most people you’ve already given up on your New Year’s Resolution. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Is your goal to be better at meal prep? Would you like to gain or lose weight? Be a better athlete? No matter what your goal, your chances of completion will greatly increase with a proper plan. If you really want what you’re after, take the above tips into the rematch and win in 2020.