5 Tips to Keep That New Year Resolution
Goodbye 2019! It is officially 2020 and the start of a new year. You’ve probably already started to get asked, “What’s your new year resolution?”. Having a new year resolution can be a great way to start a new healthy habit or a fun hobby, but they can also be daunting and difficult to follow through on! We have a few tips to make your new year resolution not only successful, but something you’ll look forward to doing.
1. Start small. Most of the time when we decide on a new year resolution, we make it very broad. We decide that we’re going to lose a bunch of weight or stop eating all junk food. These kind of resolutions can be difficult to stick to. Instead of saying you’re going to stop eating all junk food, make it your resolution to cut down on junk food and only eat it, say, once a week. This is something that is a lot easier to accomplish and still lets you indulge once in a while. Resolutions don’t have to be super strict. Having a cookie every so often is good for the soul… or at least that’s what I tell myself.
2. Make a plan. This tip goes hand in hand with starting small. To reach your goals, you need to create a plan that breaks down exactly how you’re going to reach those goals! For example, if your goal is to run a marathon, break that goal down into smaller goals and make a plan. Make it your goal to run a certain amount of miles each week, increasing the mileage over time. Or, if your goal is to get all A’s next semester, you should make a plan for that as well. Make it a goal to dedicate a certain amount of hours a week to studying. If your school offers tutoring, go to at least one session a month, or more often if needed. Overall, just make a plan that best accommodates you and will help you successfully complete your resolution. It’s important to have at least some plan than to go into your resolution with no plan at all, which makes it more likely that you won’t follow through.
3. Don’t give up just because you slip up. Everyone slips up on their resolutions. The important thing is to keep going, despite your slip up. Too often people break their resolution once and then decide to just give it up entirely. Even if you slip up a dozen times, you can still do it! You have all of 2019 to see your resolution through. That’s 365 days to make a positive change in your own life. At the end of 2020, you’ll be able to say that you actually completed your resolution… while a lot of people won’t be able to say the same. Don’t forget the amazing feeling of accomplishment that you’ll get. That’s worth moving past a few errors and forging on.
4. You can have one-time resolutions, too! Not all resolutions have to be something you’re going to be stuck committed to all year. If you’re like me and hate committing to things, make a one time goal. A resolution that I like to make is to try doing at least one new thing. This seems easy, and maybe silly to some – don’t we try new things all the time? However, it’s easy to get stuck in our regular, day to day life and not do anything really new. Doing something new and exciting breaks up this motony and can even lead to you finding something you love to do or just inspire you to do new things more often. Need some ideas? You could try one of our kayaking or biking tours as your new thing if you’ve never been on a tour with us before… hint hint! You can also try rock climbing, a painting class, go on a safari… the possibilities are endless.
5. Reward yourself. While accomplishing your resolution is an awesome feeling in itself, don’t forget to reward yourself along the way. It’ll make completing those small goals feel even better and motivate yourself to continue. If you do finish a smaller goal, go buy something you’ve had your eye on for a while. Or reward yourself with a relaxing rest day at home (or if you’re feeling fancy, at the spa!). Just reward yourself with something you love and set rewards for future goals, so you have something to look forward to after completing your next goal.
