You’ve now said goodbye to 2015 and have welcomed 2016 with its new hopes and goals. This is a good time to think and visualize how you would like to be and what you would like to do in this New Year. Health-wise speaking it’s good to think about how you did this past year, and what you would like to change or achieve.
There are different types of goal achievers:
- First are the people who are unmotivated to accomplish their goals, so won’t put forth any effort.
- The second type follow the law of minimum effort: barely doing what is necessary and tentative to leave their comfort zone.
- Lastly there are those who go all out to accomplish what they set out to do.
Which one are you?
If you feel like you don’t finish what you start, or you never accomplish your New Year’s resolutions, take a look at these tips which could help you do things differently this year.
1. Visualise Success
Think about how your health is right now. Is there anything that you would like to change or improve in regards to your lifestyle and eating habits? Knowing yourself and analysing where you stand can be a helpful starting point, but the best thing to do is to visualise yourself as having achieved your goal.
If you want to eat in a healthier way, visualize what changes you think you need to make. Do you need to make more time for cooking healthier meals? Would you like to eat more veggies and fewer sweets? Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you determine what changes you need and what you are willing to do. Most of all, visualizing the achievement of your healthy eating goals will prepare your brain to take your ideas into practice and reality.
2. Write It Down!
Once you know what type of things you want to modify in your diet and general lifestyle, be sure to write them down. Writing your goals down will help you remember them and achieve them. Often, people will only look at their goals twice a year: the day you write them down and the following year when you think about your unaccomplished goals. If you want to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, keep them somewhere visible to keep remind yourself.
Food goals are easily tracked if you choose to keep a food diary. Writing down what you eat everyday helps you become more conscientious of what you feed your body and may help you generate greater changes.
Another helpful exercise is to write down any fears or barriers that might be in your way. Meditate about the barriers you have imposed on yourself and ways of how you can overcome them. Afterwards, destroy that piece of paper with your fear or barrier written on it in any way you fancy. This is another way to help your thoughts become more focused on what you want to achieve and not your obstacles.
See Also: 3 Ways To Overcome Little Fears And Tackle Greater Ones
3. Know How to Get There
Don’t aim for an extreme end goal straight away — that will only generate anxiety and stress. Instead, divide your goal in small, viable steps. Remember that what is actually important is being consistent. So if you overwhelm yourself with extreme targets your inspiration or readiness to continue might falter leaving your tired, bored and uninspired to continue on your healthy path.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Restart
No matter how often you forget or break your milestone, it’s never too late to restart. If you eat that piece of cake or those biscuits you weren’t meant to or have been forgetting to eat in a wholesome and healthier way, don’t be discouraged. It doesn’t mean you’ve lost the battle.
It’s important to treat yourself once in a while, but it’s equally important to go back to the plan. Make a healthy diet and lifestyle your routine and not a special January ritual that fades away with your inspiration. If you consistently include your desired options in your day, you’ll quickly rewire your brain to prefer them automatically.
5. Creatively Motivate Yourself
Looking back to learn from your mistakes is useful, but don’t forget to celebrate your successes as well. Recognising what you have done well can motivate you to continue down your path.
If you’re finding motivation difficult, don’t do all the work by yourself — join a team! Your partner, a group of friends, a club or society can be the greatest support towards achieving your healthy eating goals.
Checking in with yourself also helps you find the joy in it! Forcing yourself to do something that you find boring and without purpose can be exhausting. Think about ways you can enjoy taking care of yourself. Include foods that you like and share meals with friends in comfortable environments.
See Also: 5 Simple Ways To Stay Motivated On The Mat
6. Check In Every Day
One of the best ways to make sure that you accomplish your goals is to look and think of them every single day. Post your written goals in a visible place such as mirror, your night table or your fridge. That way you will constantly be reminded of them and it will be like starting from fresh, seizing every day.
Don’t feed your fears. Next time you feel like putting off your healthy eating goals don’t give time for doubt, just go for it. Remember to first visualize what you want to accomplish, write it down and have it in a visible place. Find others that also want to have a healthier diet or do more exercise. Research has indicated that the way we eat can is heavily influenced by what you have around.
Finally, find the joy in taking care and feeling good of yourself. Remember that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to!
