Whether you are someone who religiously makes a New Year’s Resolution, or are someone who shuns the idea, there is no denying the turning of the calendar is perfect for a fresh start. We also can’t deny that most people who make resolutions, don’t keep them. Some studies show up to 80% of those of us who make resolutions, fail at them. By February! So what can we do? Here are a few four tips to stick to with your new year, fresh starts.
Think Small for Fresh Starts
Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will your fresh start be. So, keep in mind that changes don’t need to be enormous to make a big impact. Need to exercise more? Start with a ten minute walk. You are far more likely to stick to that, over committing to a five-day-a-week 5:00am Zumba class. While the walk may feel like it’s not getting you anywhere, if you stick with it and gradually increase the time within a few weeks, say add five minutes a week, you will have added a habit of walking 30 minutes a day. Nothing to shake your head at!
Simple Not Easy
While most of us know what we need to do–exercise more, stick to a nutritional food plan, stop smoking, less screen time–it doesn’t make it easy. And most of us don’t stick to our well intentioned resolutions because change isn’t… you guessed it, easy. Create a system that makes old habits hard to access and good habits easy to do. Want to decrease screen time? Make a decision to plug your phone in, on airplane mode, in another room during family time. Want to eat better? Don’t buy Oreos, not even for the kids.
Discipline for the Win
Will power is fickle, it’s discipline you need to focus on for making changes and embracing your fresh start. Making decisions based on how you feel in the moment rather than what you know you should do is where discipline becomes your weapon of success. Nobody will always feel like sticking to their new way of doing things. So you have to commit to doing it, even when it feels hard in the moment.
Don’t Give Up
Yeah, yeah. We know. It’s not as simple as it sounds, is it? Here is the thing. January 1 is an ideal fresh start. But there are fresh starts scattered all through our lives! Mornings! Mondays! After Lunch! Fresh starts aren’t actually a date on the calendar, they are simply a decision in your mind to do better from this moment forward. And you can decide on a fresh start anytime you want. And if you fall off the wagon, set your eyes forward and start over. Success in the long run is not about never making mistakes or making choices that are counterintuitive to your goals. Success in the long run is about constant course correction as you, your life, your family, your needs and goals change. You got this.
