25 Jan #newyearnewme. Sticking with it!
In the last two posts about your New Year’s resolutions, we spoke about setting the right goals and finding the motivation to start down the path to a healthier you. This post might be the most important, because even when people find the right goal and get going, sticking with it is hard, especially in the time between the initial enthusiasm and when your new [you] changes become habit. Be realistic, be mindful and don’t be so hard on yourself. Here are some things to think about as you head on the road to success.
1 Lights…Camera…Take Action!
One beautiful thing about human behavior, is that we have the ability to take action despite maybe not feeling enthusiastic or comfortable in doing so. Remember: making change is uncomfortable, thus the path to our renewed self may have to go through a little bit of discomfort. As the old saying goes: If it was easy, everyone would do it. Acceptance of discomfort includes embracing your low energy and discouraging thoughts and, in fact, taking them with you as you move forward with your objective!
Pro tip: Check in with yourself around how you might feel if you don’t follow through with your daily objective. If you anticipate that you will feel worse (guilty, irritated, bored, frustrated with yourself, etc) then try and see if you can capitalize on that by taking action.
2 Conquering The Inevitable Backstep
At some point during “Operation Renewed You,” you may find that you break your commitment and take a few steps back. This is totally normal and absolutely okay. What is of most importance is what you choose to do after the backstep. Of course there are several options other than giving up. Here are a few tips for how to move forward:
- Give yourself a break. Hey, you are human and missteps happen. We are more complex than binary 0’s and 1’s and so sometimes life gets in the way.
- Hold yourself accountable and identify what led to the backstep (i.e. unrealistic goals or unwillingness to accept discomfort, etc).
- Indicate what you can learn from the setback.
- Re-evaluate your goal, modifying when need be.
- Give yourself credit for getting back on track.
3 Maintaining Momentum
As you continue achieving your goals as you move forward throughout the year, be sure to take credit for your successes. And scan for areas where you see small improvements and results because they all add up. Giving yourself high fives along the way and appreciating your accomplishments can be excellent reinforcers and can help make the new healthy habit last forever. For some, the renewed self can feel uncomfortable. Don’t let that stop you. Take pride in your success because you deserve it!
Remember to just do it, know you’re human, learn from mistakes and celebrate your success!
We’re always here to help with the advice you need to stick with your plan. When we say we’re patient-focused, we really mean it, and nothing is more exciting or rewarding than to see one of our Crossover members succeed. And most important, to adopt new, healthier habits for life. (Hey, maybe this will inspire the next goal!).
And I’m always here to help with questions too. Talk to me on Twitter. I’m @RossNelsonPsyD.
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