How to stop failing your healthy New Years Resolutions in 2009

Here's a major prediction for 2009 for you. You will break one, if not all of your new year’s resolutions within the first few months of this year! I am not trying to insult you, so I apologise if it appears that way. Statistically speaking, most people fail to adhere to their New Years Resolutions even with the best intentions. I am making a big assumption here, but I assume and make the prediction you may be one of those people.

 

On a positive note there are a small percentage of people who DO stick to their new years resolutions, make them a way of life and reap the benefits in the long run.

 

So let’s look at the reasons most people fail at their new year’s goals and what you can do to be one of the successful ones.

 

1) Not setting specific, clear goals

 

Many people set vague and unrealistic new years resolutions such as “I will lose weight this year and exercise regularly. Or “I will stop eating all junk food and run 6 times per week!”

 

Instead set a goal, not a resolution (it’s harder to break a goal) like, “I will lose 5 kilos in the next 3 months and exercise 4 times per week. Make sure the goal is realistic like “I plan to limit fast food (takeaways) to 1 time per week with the aim of reducing this to 2 times per month.

 

Now take your goal one step further than you normally would and state why you want to achieve this goal. “I will lose 5 kilos in the next 5 months so I can feel confident in my bikini when I go on holiday in 4 months time.

 

By creating a benefit or an emotional link to your goal, you have more of an incentive to achieve it. You want to be enthusiastic about your goals, so create a benefits list for each one.

2) Creating too many resolutions

Avoid creating a list of more than 4 major New Year’s goals. You can easily create more goals when you start to achieve some of your initial ones. Too often we create a long list of very optimistic goals which become unattainable as we can’t focus our attention on achieving them. Focus is really the key.

We often approach a new year with rose-coloured glasses, thinking we will magically achieve all our goals this year, unlike last year. Yes, be optimistic but also realistic about what you think you can achieve. You don’t want to stress yourself out over these goals.

We all have a finite resource of willpower, so choose a goal that you are motivated and enthusiastic to achieve and focus on the steps needed to achieve this goal first.

3) Trying to change too many things at once.

As discussed in the above tip, it is in your best interest to focus on one goal at a time so it gets the attention it deserves and doesn’t overwhelm you.

Yes, still create a list of 4-5 goals for the next 3-4 months, BUT tackle each goal one at a time. If your goal is to lose weight and you are new to exercise, aim to get into a routine of regular walks and weight sessions first. THEN tackle the eating part of your goal. When trying to reach a goal, break each part into realistic steps that you can carry out and work through them systematically. Focus and perseverance is the key, so be patient as you start to make changes.

4) Not planning for your success

When starting a new goal it is so important to plan your path to success. As briefly touched on in the previous tip, map out and break into smaller parts each goal and create a plan of action that supports the goal.

Example; Starting an exercise program:

1) Buy a pair of support walking/running shoes and decent workout gear that I feel motivated to put on. 2) Get professional advice on how to devise an exercise program and then buy the necessary exercise equipment and so on…..

5) Not creating enough accountability

Research indicates that having a support system matters when achieving your goals. No one wants to look like a failure, so declaring your goals to a close friend will help propel you much further towards your health & fitness goals than tackling it on your own.

6) Trying to eliminate each bad habit

Most new years resolutions start with the best intentions; “I will stop eating all junk food”. As humans we are better equipped to handle replacing one habit with another habit, rather than eliminating a habit all together.

For the above goal of trying to stop junk food, aim instead to replace this habit with eating small snacks or pre-prepared healthier food. If you are always eating junk food in front of the TV, aim instead to eat homemade popcorn instead for example. The aim is to replace a “bad” habit with a “good” habit.

7) Black and white thinking

Be careful that you don’t create unrealistic goals or be too hard on yourself. Example; “I will eliminate chocolate from my life”. Or thinking that because you have missed a workout, your whole diet plan has failed so you might as well give up now.

Expect to fail sometimes. I use the word “fail” with hesitation as there really are no failures, only learning experiences. It is unrealistic to think you will now be perfect and stick to your goals 24/7 just by declaring a new goal.

There will be obstacles and learning experiences along the way. If you happen to buy junk food while out for the day, aim to learn from it. Realise that maybe you didn’t prepare properly and now know to have food ready when hunger strikes. One of my clients gets low blood sugar every 3-4 hours if she doesn’t eat regularly so instead of succumbing to fast food temptations, she packs 2 boiled eggs and nuts into a portable cooler bag. This keeps her satisfied until she can prepare a healthier meal. Learn from any and all obstacles and then act accordingly.

I hope all of the above tips are helpful to helping turn your vague resolutions into goals which you can finally achieve.

Nalisha Patel. FREE report “49 tips for shaping up and slimming down." See www.healthmastery.co.nz