Though we are already two weeks into the New Year, there is no time like to present to optimize your New Year’s Resolution and make sure you’re on track with your goals for 2015. Investing in your health and well-being is the most important gift you can give yourself, and few things in life are more important. Here are some tips to stay on top of your fitness and well-being goals in 2015:
Set Attainable Goals
The first and most important step is to assess your current state and set a realistic goal that can be attainable based on actions you will actually undertake. While it’s all well and good to set a goal of eliminating all vices from your diet, running a marathon by March, or promising to meditate for four hours daily, you’ll only frustrate yourself if you can’t accomplish these things. Instead, be realistic about what is healthy, and be honest about what you are willing to do to reach your goals. Attainable goals are the key to feeling successful and continuing to strive for better.
Be Concrete
Don’t just say that you hope to eat better, or would like to exercise more. Planning and structure are important in attaining all goals, including ones of health and well-being. Rather than a nebulous idea of a healthy diet, write down a plan of your meals. Make sure vegetables, healthy proteins, fibre sources etc. are included. Incorporate snacking into your meal planning, but make them healthy alternatives, like trail mix or a handful of almonds instead of a bag of chips. Then, shop and buy only those ingredients. For exercise, it is not enough to generally hope to be more active. Be proactive and make time for fitness, whether it is waking up an hour earlier to head out for a run, or signing up for a volleyball team to get fit while enjoying great company.
Find Your Motivation
Every person has a particular style of motivation, and you must find your own. For one person, they may find better results when they track and record their fitness data, always striving to improve on yesterday’s time and enjoying the steady march toward their health and well-being goals. Someone else might be more motivated by rewarding themselves with a shopping trip to get new exercise clothes, or treating themselves to a movie night. As long as your reward doesn’t contradict your resolution, it can be a great motivating factor. Others might be encouraged by finding a fitness/well-being buddy to share in the journey. You might head to the gym together, or just share healthy recipes to help keep you on track.
The true key to a New Year’s Resolution is to make sure it isn’t just a temporary January fad, but a permanent lifestyle change. These recommendations can help make sure your health and well-being aren’t just at the top of the agenda for this month, but for all the years ahead.
