The start of the New Year is a great time for resolutions because many people use this time of year for new starts as an annual tradition, and so many buddies are available to support one another. It’s a sad sack fact that the majority give up once the initial hype wears off and revert back into the same old habits from which they were trying to escape.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. In truth, you can change your mindset from a ‘once a year’ opportunity to a ‘seize the day’ opportunity on any date of the year and as many times over as needed to gain enough the momentum for the new habit to take hold.
The challenges in change can come in unexpected forms.
- your resolution buddy fell off the wagon, so you’re going it alone
- change takes more focus than originally thought
- more exercise means more muscle aches and joint pain
- the new dietary changes are yucky and boring
- there are too many temptations in your space
- going cold turkey has withdrawal symptoms
The solution is to change your mindset first and change will come easier and more fun.
Make your New Year’s Resolution a fun adventure.
Stop and ponder how important it is for you to reach your resolution goal and be aware of those niggly things that might set you back, but you can always start again, even in the next minute.
- don’t fight against the old habit
- remember you cannot fail, you can only progress to the next step
- incorporate new habits through slowly integrating desired actions
- find your own inspiration for staying on track around you goal
- imagine yourself in your new lifestyle, like what your hands will be doing when you quit smoking or what nature is doing when you walk every day
- meditate so you can get into feeling like the new you in the present moment
- never give up on yourself
