Did you walk into 2023 with the mindset: new year, new me?
Didn’t we all to some extent?
A new year brings forward a lot of opportunities. It feels like a fresh start. A perfect time to make some goals for the year ahead, and reflect on the year that was.
It’s common knowledge that when people want to get fit or start eating healthy, they “start on Monday”. Well the same goes for January 1st… “I’ll start in the new year!”
The problem we have here in the Southern Hemisphere is that January 1st is in the middle of our Summer holidays - and it is very hard to make big resolutions when you have cold beers in the fridge, or a pavlova on the kitchen table waiting to be eaten!
So, we often make resolutions to start mid way through January. You know, once we’re back at work… or in February - once the kids are back at school. Whenever we feel ROUTINE is starting back up again!
Then… we fall short.
We fall short on our promises we make to ourselves to go to the gym 3 times a week this year. Or we fall short on our 10,000 steps a day within the first 4 days. We have a sneaky piece of chocolate when we SWORE we would have no sugar this year.
It. Is. So. Easy. To. Fall. Short!
So, what can we do about it?
Well, we could always just wait for next year to set some more realistic goals…
Or how about we start right now!
Tip 1: You don’t need to wait until Monday, until the first of the month, or until the beginning of a new year to start again!
Your DAY 1 could be tomorrow. Hell, it could even be today!
If you told yourself you wouldn’t have sugar this year, and find you snuck a piece of chocolate, let me just say this: IT IS OKAY!
The last thing you want to do is wallow and be upset with yourself over this. Self discipline is very hard, and it takes a lot of practice. You cannot change the past, that you ate that piece of deliciousness, but you can use it as a learning tool for the future.
Instead of waiting until next Monday to start eating healthy again, start at the next meal. Every second is a new opportunity for a beginning - and the easiest trap to fall into here is using you one slip up as an excuse for many more.
Tip 2: Get out of the mindset of “well I didn’t reach my goal this morning, so the rest of the afternoon I may as well not reach it either”!
Too often people use one slip up as an excuse for another.
“I didn’t make it to the gym this morning”. Oh well, may as well just eat KFC tonight and start again tomorrow!
“Oh no, I had a coffee this morning and I’m supposed to be giving up”. I’ll just have ONE more and then won’t have any this weekend!
Tip 1 & 2 go hand in hand and essentially mean the same thing:
STOP being hard on yourself! EVERY second is a fresh start!
It’s OK to slip up - but don’t use that as an excuse to continue down the slippery slope. Get up on your feet and start the climb again. Don’t wait until tomorrow, or Monday or next month to get back up. Get up immediately!
Tip 3: 1% better everyday is better than nothing!
You are accountable for your own success - whatever that is to you. If you have a goal you want to reach (i.e. lose 5kg), make some achievable smaller goals that will get you closer to your bigger one.
Just focus on being 1% better every day, don’t focus on the larger task at hand. It can be easy to be upset and obsess over how long it is taking you to reach your goal.
Instead of focusing on the larger task at hand - focus on the smaller stepping stones that will get you there. You will find that you actually reach them faster, and you will instantly feel more accomplished!
Going back to losing 5kg: if your stepping stones are “walk 8,000 steps” or “drink 2L of water”, you can tick those off a LOT faster!
Tip 4: Tick off tasks - either in a habit tracking app, in a diary or on a whiteboard
Once you have an idea of the small stepping stones you can take daily to reach your bigger goals - keep track of them! Habit tracking is more than just checking off a list.
It helps to create autonomy and increases the chances of turning new habits into routine. It encourages you to stop and reflect on your progress, and brings attention to the little things you achieve each day. This helps boost your morale and increases your motivation!
If you’re a pen and paper person, I recommend writing out your daily “to-do’s” in your diary and you can tick them off as you achieve them.
If you’re a visual - try getting a small whiteboard and sticking it on your fridge! Write the tasks out in permanent marker, and tick them off as you achieve them with a whiteboard marker. Wipe it out and start fresh each morning!
Or, if you are an on the go gal, and need something to remind you to stay on track - why not try a habit tracker app?
StickK is one example of a habit tracking app that helps you StickK (literally) to your goals.
Or, try the OG app: Habit Tracker for setting long term goals and a daily planner!
In summary: don’t beat yourself up, every second is a new opportunity to reset, focus on being 1% better every day, create smaller stepping stones leading to bigger picture goals, and keep track of your progress!
It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by making goals at the beginning of the year - but we hope that with these small tips you can keep track of your progress and stick at it!