By Jo Hill

I have spent so many years setting New Year ’ s resolutions , only to forget about them by February , and I doubt that I ’ m the only one who has battled with this . Towards the end of 2020 , I spent some time thinking about why I struggle to stick to the goals I set for myself on January 1st ( and thanks to lockdown , I had the extra time to think about these things .)

think it ’ s so easy for us to come up with goals ... big goals ... long-term goals ... goals that require a sufficient amount of time to achieve ... but for those that struggle to see their goals through , like myself , I believe that that ’ s where we are going wrong . The goals we are setting are just too big .

I ’ m not saying that this is wrong , but I think that breaking goals down into smaller , easily attainable ‘ mini ’ goals will result in more goals being achieved throughout the year . For example , last year my goal was to lose 5kg . Personally , 5kg on my frame is a lot , and will take a while for me to achieve ... and by February I had given up . So , using that goal as an example , instead of wanting to lose 5kg , I should have made a few mini goals that would result in weight-loss being the end result :

• Drink half a litre extra of water per day .

• Do an extra 15 minutes of cardio 2 to 3 times a week .

• Walk 10,000 steps a day .

• Go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night .

Next I ’ m going to share 21 goals that I feel all of us should set for ourselves in order to make 2021 our best year ever :

Images : Pexels

While I know that a lot of these mini goals are simple , try to incorporate a few in your life throughout 2021 and I have no doubt that you will start to feel more positive and more able to tackle the obstacles that will be thrown at you . And who knows , perhaps at the end of the year , you will be able to tick off the resolutions you originally made for yourself at the beginning of 2020 !

Jo Hill is a Durbanbased baking enthusiast with two selfconfessed addictions : Fitness and chocolate . She has made it her mission in life to show the world that it is possible to have the best of both worlds . The popularity of her healthy recipes led to her creating her popular Facebook page and blog called Pull ups and Peanut butter , where she shares her recipes for clean , healthy and diet-friendly treats . More info at www . pullupsandpeanutbutter . co . za

Chocolate contains potent antioxidants called flavanols , which may reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress . Studies have shown that consuming moderate amounts of chocolate can boost heart health , and lower blood pressure and cholesterol . Other research suggests that these flavanols can ease inflammation and lower the risk of potential blood clots . However , not just any chocolate will do !

The darker the chocolate , the higher the antioxidant content and more heart-healthy benefits . Dark chocolate has a lower glycaemic index , which means that eating dark chocolate won ’ t make your blood sugar levels peak . Choose a dark chocolate 70 % or higher , which will help keep your blood sugar levels stable . Just remember to take note of the calories , as chocolate is high in fat , contains sugar , and it ’ s very easy to over-indulge .

Just remember , even though chocolate can help your running performance , you still need to consume it in moderation as part of a healthy balanced diet , because chocolate ( and chocolate milk ) is high in sugar , fat and energy , and excess consumption can still lead to weight-gain .

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