January is giving us those fresh start feels. We are all thinking about changes we want to make, which would be great ...if we actually stuck to them. Research shows that less than 8% of people stick to their New Year's resolutions each year, yikes!
Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled a short guide of how to make sure that not only do you stick to your resolutions this year, but to make sure that these resolutions are going to bring about impactful change to your life. The first step to achieving success is knowing what not to do.
THE MOST COMMON RESOLUTION MISTAKES
MAKING OVERLY AMBITIOUS RESOLUTIONS
The worst mistake people make with new year's resolutions and changes is that they are too ambitious, they aim for the stars then get burnt out quickly. Things like aiming to go completely vegan for a month, saving £1,000 or losing like 20 pounds in 3 weeks.
These resolutions are not bad in themselves but if they’re so different from your current lifestyle then you’re not going to be able to maintain them. The key to any resolution and change is about figuring out which changes are doable and which ones are actually going to be sustainable.
Let’s say you have a monthly income of £2500 and your goal is to save £1,000 a month. The chances of you dipping into your savings are higher. Logically, if you opt to save maybe £500 a month you’re increasing your chances of succeeding. Think about the smart way to achieve your goals and not the quick way
ADOPTING TOXIC GOALS
Because change is in the air, some of us want to go for popular changes we see on social media but a lot of our goals are unhealthy and won’t result in a positive impact in your life. So many of us are fueled by an unrealistic body type perpetuated from magazines and celebrity culture, this results in people setting resolutions like losing an insane amount of weight in a month. These unrealistic goals can often lead people to really restrictive diets like keto, smoothie diets or detoxing.
Quick fad diets like Keto can really damage your relationship with food and can sometimes lead to eating disorders. These sorts of diets also never work out in the long run because people get tired, burnt out and find them too restrictive. We’re not about toxic diets here, no quick fads to make you feel bad about yourself, instead aim to make small dietary changes that’s going to improve your diet in the long run. Aim to eat one healthy meal a day while still having treats, or if you’re planning on going vegetarian or vegan opt to do 2-3 days a week then ease yourself into it. The key is not to rush into it, be patient with yourself and you’ll see results.
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
LOVE YOURSELF
Change is important, we love change, it’s how we grow and better ourselves and reach our goals. It is important however to not get caught up in changing yourself, try and focus on what you’re already good at doing or what you love about yourself. In doing so, once you figure out what you’re good at you can develop smaller micro-changes that can improve the skills you already have and build upon them. This new year, instead of making a huge list about all the things you need to change, make a list about the things you love about yourself and think about how you can develop these things.
For example, if I have great cooking skills, I can develop that by thinking about writing a recipe book or learning more difficult new recipes. Setting goals to build upon our already existing skills is such a great way to grow. Remember you don't always have to think wildly outside the box, use what you already have and grow from within.
Allow Yourself to Fail
Failure is a key part of success, if you don't fail then you don't know how to improve, no one achieves their goals easily, everything takes time and determination. If you’re willing to put in the work but to also allow yourself to fail, then you’re going to feel so much better when you reach your goal because you’ve loved yourself the whole way. Don’t punish yourself if you fail here and there, failure isn't final, you can always get back up and keep trying, look at where you went wrong and figure out how you can improve for next time.
If you’re going to take anything away from reading this, then let it be that loving yourself needs to be a priority this new year. In the past year we’ve been through so much, lockdown after lockdown and who can forget the variants, so that’s why it's so important to take the time to appreciate what you’ve done despite all the obstacles. You’ve got this !