This post was supposed to go up earlier, but the other night I got into a fight with the staircase at home, and needless to say, the stairs and the marble floor at the bottom of them won. My head and body were just not quite ready to do much of anything, let alone blog. :)
As the new year approached, I spent a lot of time thinking about my resolutions and goals for 2014. I always feel like it's easy to come up with a list, but much harder to actually accomplish them. It's easy to get sidetracked, push off the start date, or sometimes you start off on the right foot, but then struggle to keep it up for more than a month. Because of this, I've listed some tips for a successful new year's resolution list!
1. Keep it short and simple. Of course there are always a million things we would like to accomplish in a year, but try to keep it to one or two things that you really think are important to accomplish this year. Maybe three things for you overachievers out there.
2. Stay positive. Often people's resolutions revolve around changing or getting rid of something, such as losing weight, stop smoking or drinking, etc. While I don't think there is anything wrong with these goals, I do think that it is important to include goals that don't only focus on the negative things in your life. Make a resolution that amplifies something positive in your life or something that you already enjoy doing. For example, for every day without a cigarette, put away a dollar for a trip you always wanted to take or an item you've wanted to buy. This will not only make each goal accomplished sweeter, but it's the perfect way to motivate and reinforce the reason you came up with the resolution in the first place.
3. Break it down. Instead of just telling yourself that you want to lose weight or start eating better, make a list of smaller tasks that will help you accomplish your overall goal. Don't just say you want to lose X pounds in the next year, instead set-up a workout schedule, commit to a new exercise class and/or personal trainer, or make an appointment with a nutritionist. Create smaller goals that will allow you to stick with your resolution. Not only will these smaller goals get you focused and excited about your ultimate goal, but they will also act as check-points throughout the year. You will be so focused on sticking with your workout schedule or making a new healthy dish that losing weight won't feel like such a chore, and will be more fun for yourself and the people around you. Nobody wants to hear somebody complain about their weight when they can hear about the new exercise class they took, hot personal trainer they have, or a new healthy recipe they tried instead.
4. Pick your own start date. I don't know about you, but every year I tell myself that I will change my life on January 1st, and every year it doesn't happen. I'm always too tired from the holidays or I come up with some other excuse for why I can't start it on that day, and then instantly feel like I've already failed. But who said that your new year's resolutions had to start on January 1st? The more that I thought about it, the more I realized that starting your resolutions on January 1st is quite possibly the WORST idea ever. Nobody in their right mind is excited to hit the gym after drinking and celebrating the night before. Instead, use the day to buy cute gym clothes and a healthy green smoothie. Oh, and of course focus on getting rid of your hang over first. You don't want to be the person at the store that looks like they partied too hard on New Year's Eve. So, what I'm trying to say is pick your own start date and make sure it is one that works best with your schedule and will start your resolutions off on the right foot.
5. Don't give up. Okay, so this might seem like an unnecessary point to make, but I think it's an important reminder. Don't give up on your resolutions. This is not a competition and no one is keeping score. If you mess up one week, don't beat yourself up about it or declare yourself a failure. Just hit the reset button and try harder the next week. Remember that you set the goal for a reason and that the only thing that can keep you from accomplishing it is a negative attitude. So say goodbye to the word failure this year, and keep working on getting one step closer to your goal.
Happy New Year lovelies!!
XO,
Kimiko
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