The new year means a new you…a you that will set goals and stick to them. A you that has self-discipline and self-control. When setting resolutions, it is important to be realistic, in other words don’t cut yourself off your favorite food for an entire year. Instead, tell yourself that you only can allow yourself to eat your favorite food once a month. If you ban something from your life and do it anyway, there is a better chance that you’re just going to throw in the towel and give up on it.
When you’re looking for New Year’s resolution motivation, there are many things you can try. You can write your goals or resolutions on a piece of paper and hang them somewhere where you will see them daily to help keep you motivated. Also, it’s important to word your resolution correctly, the message should be positive. So instead of writing I will go on a strict diet and stick to it, you could say I am going to start eating an extremely healthy diet, to help me be healthier and add years onto my life. The message should be positive and motivating and should make you feel happy when you see it rather than give you anxiety.
Want even more tips on how to maintain your New Year’s resolution motivation? Keep reading for some helpful advice below to start the year off right.
New Year’s Resolution Motivation Starts with Achievable, Realistic, Specific Goals
When setting goals, is important to be as specific as possible. They should also be realistic in the amount of time and your ability to achieve the goal.
You should not set goals like, “I am going to lose 30 pounds by next month,” because not only is that not possible, it is also very unhealthy. According to The Delaware County Daily Times, people who set goals find the most effective and motivating way to do so is by using SMART goals:
- SPECIFIC
- MEASURABLE
- ATTAINABLE
- RELEVANT
- TIMELY
Basically, you’re going to want to write your goal as specifically as possible.
You’re going to track your milestones leading up to your goal to help keep you motivated.
You will want make sure that you set goals that are actually achievable and not something that you may fall short of completing.
Relevance in your goal is digging deep in finding out why you want to achieve this goal, why is this goal so important to you, and how you can ultimately achieve this.
Timely, of course is setting time limits on your goal ‘I will complete my goal of losing 30 pounds by April 30.
Maintain New Year’s Resolution Motivation with a Vision
For New Year’s resolution motivation, people find it helpful to have a visual relevant to their goal. For example, you could have a pair of pants that you would one day like to fit into hanging up somewhere. Or you can make a goal visionary bored, taking clippings of people who inspire you to be more fit, pictures of you when you were the size that you want to become again, or healthy foods that you want to start incorporating into your daily life.
People who are able to visualize their goal are more likely to complete it in a more timely and healthy manner. People who have used vision boards are able to make lifestyle changes rather than just temporary changes.
Exercise, Do Things You Love, and Stay Active!
Many people keep their New Year’s resolution motivation by exercising at home and doing the things that they love that keep them active.
Women find martial arts and self-defense classes both empowering and a great way to get the exercise that they need to help them stick to their weight loss goals. You don’t have to stop there. You can get active and have fun at the same time by signing up for martial arts, self-defense, dance, adult sports leagues, and joining support groups of people who also share similar goals to your own.
Hold Yourself Accountable with the Help of a Support Group
People also join support groups or have a strong support group at home to help hold them accountable to their resolutions and goals. Having someone exercise with you, eat healthy with you, or share your same goals will help you both stay motivated and can both hold each other accountable.
Another way for you to hold yourself accountable is to make plans with a friend to go do something active such as group sports, jogging on a trail with a friend, or going rock climbing can help you not back out and to stay motivated.
Choose a Plan You Can Stick With
To maintain your New Year’s resolution, select a game plan that will be easier for you to stick with. If you try to tackle something that you’ll absolutely hate doing, it is basically a recipe for losing motivation and falling completely off track. You don’t want that to happen!
For example, you might select a diet that will help you lose weight, but that you won’t be totally miserable following. If, for example, you have read a lot about the benefits of a plant-based diet, but you know that you are not really capable yet of ditching all meat, dairy, and egg products, you can set a goal of consuming animal products only three days out of the week, as one example. Again, it is about setting specific goals that are achievable, as we discussed above.
Other goals might include little things like reducing the number of calories that you eat every day and keeping a food diary to keep track of it all. You might even try reducing the number of snacks that you have throughout the day, or the size of your portions. Or, you might decide that you want to lose weight by ditching unhealthy foods like fried foods and limiting those foods to just special occasions or rare treats. At the same time, you can add things to your diet, like new fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, beans, etc. that you typically didn’t eat in the past.
Remember, New Year’s resolution motivation starts with setting a goal, but if that goal isn’t something that inspires you, or it’s too hard to work towards it, your motivation will dwindle.
Keep Your New Year’s Resolution Motivation Going by Rewarding Yourself
Going on a weight loss journey isn’t easy. In fact, for a lot of people, it is a big challenge. So, beyond setting goals, determine how you will reward yourself when you achieve those goals. This is yet another way to maintain your New Year’s resolution motivation because you will know that, once you reach your goal, you will have a nice reward waiting for you.
Your reward can be whatever you want it to be, whether it is a spa day during which you will be totally pampered, a yummy dessert that you love, or buying a new article of clothing or an accessory that you have been eyeing up.
New Year’s Resolution Motivation: You Got This!
As you can see, there are several ways that you can keep your weight loss New Year’s resolution motivation going strong. Just don’t be too hard on yourself, be consistent, and do your best. Before you know it, you’ll start getting some incredible results!
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