It’s not too late to make new year resolutions or get back on track if you’ve already given up on yours.
Like many other goals, the key to sticking to a new year resolution is by making it realistic, attainable and specially designed for you. It is not wise to copy other people’s resolutions because you might not be able to achieve them and end up being unnecessarily disappointed.
You know yourself better than others, so use this to your advantage by creating resolutions catered for you. Keep it simple and straightforward, you can always expand it when the next year comes.
With 10 months now left on the calendar, here are some tips to help you stick to your resolutions:
Fitness
It is always a good idea to lose weight or become fitter in the new year as long as you do it gradually. This is especially for those who have not been physically active for the most part of 2019 or have not tried losing weight.
Starting small means adding physical activity progressively into your life, perhaps beginning with brisk walking or jogging each day.
You could also switch out some habits such as skipping the escalator or elevator for the stairs, or alighting the bus earlier so you can walk home.
Avoid comparing your physical activities to others because everyone’s fitness level is different.
Changing diets
While you’re trying to lose weight or become fitter, it is always good to try and improve your diet as well.
However, avoid major changes such as going on a crash diet. Doing so would deprive you of essential nutrients, causing your body to go into rebound and making you gain weight.
Start by having one less meal a day, avoiding desserts and fruits, or cutting down on carbohydrates.
Spending
If your love for shopping is becoming problematic for you, start by setting a budget as part of your new year resolution.
Find out how much you regularly spend on unnecessary things each month and create a budget around that. Stick to the budget by checking your bank accounts frequently to make sure you do not overspend.
Once you’ve gotten into the habit of mindful spending, try reducing your budget.
Savings
A number of us can’t seem to save money despite not shopping a lot. A common mistake among savers is setting aside too much.
Start with small quantities each day, week or month. You might want to start a separate bank account for forced savings, where you can’t withdraw cash for a specific number of years.
Once you’ve saved enough, avoid investing in something you are unsure of.
Quitting smoking
A sure-fire way to quit smoking is by going cold turkey. Otherwise, you should strive to cut down your regular intake before quitting completely.
If you need cigarettes to de-stress, try other methods such as going out for a quick walk, meditating with soothing music, or watching funny videos on social media.
Quitting alcohol
Can’t remember the last time you were sober? Then it’s high time you seek professional help as part of your new year resolutions.
Seeing the counselor to help with alcohol abuse is nothing to be ashamed of. We all have our problems and do whatever we can to survive in this world, but the first step should always come from you.
Start by accepting that drinking alcohol is becoming problematic for you before going on to accepting the different forms of help that are available out there. You might also want to avoid meeting with other alcoholics or people with a tendency to binge-drink.
No matter what your resolutions are, remember to always keep it realistic and attainable.
Here’s wishing you the best of luck for 2020.