It’s January 1 and you’re telling yourself that you need to lose weight this year… you grab your keys and head out to the gym you’ve been paying a membership fee for the past however many years and walk in to see that everyone has the same idea you do. Give it three months and both you and all the others that were packed in like a sardine can will stop going. The reality of “New Year's Resolutions'' is that they don’t promote long-term change. It’s really just an acute response to societal norms and it won’t benefit you in the long run.
We’re not trying to tell you not to have a New Year’s resolution, or that they’re bad. But there’s a stark difference between making a resolution and creating life changes. One is a temporary fix, whereas the other is a long-term (and ideally sustainable) solution. This year, instead of setting a New Year’s resolution, set goals – and go get them!
Here are a few, effective, ways you can work towards sustainable life changes:
Ask for help. Much like the “steps” programs, change starts with acknowledging that you have a problem. Do that and get the help you need, whether it be from a doctor’s recommendation or a therapist.
Identify your setbacks. What has made change hard for you in the past and what can you do to remedy some of those setbacks to set you straight moving forward?
Form better habits. A lot of this is a mindset and creating life changes requires you to form habits. What are some things you can do consistently to work towards the end goal?
Stay accountable. Whether you do this yourself, or you appoint a family member, coach, or mentor, someone has to make sure you stay on track. The most difficult part of creating life change is acknowledging and accepting your downfalls. Take responsibility for your mistakes (the truth is, everyone makes them), get back up, and keep going.
Once all is said and done, analyze and repeat. The final piece of advice we’ll leave you with is that life requires constant/periodic change. This isn’t a strategy you’ll want to use just once!
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