10 | Greenstone life
Keeping your
JANUARY 2018
resolutions
Do you have trouble keeping your New Year’s resolutions beyond the first few weeks of
January? Here are seven tips to help you to keep your resolutions in 2018.
H
ow many times have you
started the year with the best
possible intentions only to let
yourself down? Follow our
tips below to successfully
keep your resolutions in
2018!
1. Make your goals specific. People say,
“I’m finally going to get in shape.” But
what does that actually mean? Do you
intend to reach a certain weight? Or body-
fat percentage? Do you want to run three
miles without rest? Maybe be able to do
10 pull-ups? Makes goals that are specific,
measurable, achievable, relevant and time-
bound (SMART).
2. Measure progress. “If you can measure
it, you can change it” is a fundamental
principal of psychology. These feedback
loops will be a source of motivation as you
reflect on where you started and where
you are. They will also help you to know when you are hitting a plateau or slipping
backward, so you can adjust your efforts.
3. Be patient. Progress is seldom linear. Some people will see rapid gains only to hit
resistance later in their efforts. For others, initial progress may be painfully slow but
then they suddenly achieve rapid breakthroughs. Making lasting changes takes time.
4. Schedule it. Have you ever said you can’t “find the time” to do something. Nobody
finds time, we choose time. We all choose to spend our time the way we do – whether
that’s eating junk food or going to a spin class. Make your new goals a priority and
actually schedule them into your calendar. If you have a fitness goal schedule recurring
time blocks for your daily workouts. Want
to declutter? Schedule time to clean out your
closet or garage on your calendar.
5. Share your goals with friends and
family. Social support is critical. Yes,
it takes some personal courage and
vulnerability to share something that you
might actually fail at, but to dramatically
increase your odds of success you’ll want
support from those around you. It’s easy to
break a promise to yourself, but far harder to
admit it to a friend.
6. Something is better than nothing. Are
you guilty of “all or nothing” thinking?
Do you ever think, “Well, I might as well
get dessert since I already ate those French
fries?” And then, “I blew my diet last
night so I’ll just restart it next week.” The
difference between doing something rather
than nothing is huge. If you don’t have a full
hour to workout at the gym, just decide to
make it the best 20 minutes you can. If you stumble out of bed and don’t want to do 20
minutes on the treadmill, lace up your sneakers and do five minutes (and you just might
find you do another 15 minutes once the first five are out of the way).
7. Get up, when you slip up. Legendary coach Vince Lombardi said, “It isn’t whether
you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Resiliency is paramount. Don’t
turn temporary failures into total meltdowns or excuses for giving up. Instead, just
acknowledge the mistake and recommit to the path towards the goal.
Achieving your goals isn’t about willpower. It’s about developing the right skills,
executing strategies, and having the patience that inevitably leads to success.