New Year New You?!

It's that time of year again. Prepare yourself for all of the new year, new you BS you'll see all over! As we all know, this is the time of year people set goals, mostly related to fitness and diet/losing weight. However, less than 25% keep those same goals just 30 days later....yes, less than a month later, less than 25% are still pursuing those goals they set! And less than 8% see them all of the way through and accomplish them.

The main reason for this incredibly large failure rate is because people start out too hot, they make a huge, ambitious goal that just isn't realistic. By setting yourself up for failure from the beginning, you are not giving yourself a real chance to succeed.

I believe that you should make a resolution or goal that you want to achieve for the new year. Having something to focus on and motivate you is very healthy. You just have to be aware of your aspiration and make sure it is attainable.

Here are a few tips to help you reach your goals:
* Make small goals: do not focus on one large outcome but rather smaller goals; be it daily, weekly or monthly, that you want to achieve and build from there. For example: "I would like to add one additional workout a week," "I would like to limit eating past 7pm," or "I would like to lose 1 inch from my waist." These are small, attainable goals and will not overwhelm you from the get go. You are more likely to succeed if you are not overwhelmed or if you goal does not feel entirely out of reach.
* Before setting goals, really sit down and think about which aspects of your life you want to change or that you believe needs changing. Maybe you do not eat enough vegetables or take a multivitamin. Or maybe your cholesterol is high, and you should focus on ways to lower it naturally. You are more likely to succeed if your goal pertains to you specifically and will change an aspect of your life in a positive way.
* Be specific with your goal. Don't just come up with a generic goal such as 'lose weight.' Come up with a specific amount of weight you want to lose per week to reach your total goal, etc. By being specific, there is an actual goal you are striving towards and you are more likely to succeed.
* Reevaluate your goals at the end of your designated time frame (daily, weekly, monthly, etc). If your goal is not working, reassess what is holding you back and reform your goal. If you realize you are easily meeting your goal, you can add another mini goal or increase your goal. By stepping back, you are able to gauge your progress which will make you more likely to stick with it and succeed.
* Acknowledge your progress. If you take time to step back and be proud of yourself for reaching goals, you will be more likely to continue and persevere on. There is no better motivation than seeing progress!



Happy new year and good luck with those goals!