Lifestyle
14 THINGS TO AVOID IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED IN YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
We're officially into the second month of the year. Some of you may be getting the itch. Some of you may have started to get ideas like: ' I can't actually achieve my goals.' Well we say: Don't give up yet! Here's 14 things to avoid doing if you want to succeed in your New Years resolutions.
- Negative Wording. That’s right take the time to go back through your new year’s resolutions and reword them. It will help them last longer if you put a positive spin on things.
- Not being specific enough. Yep, saying ‘I want to look great,’ won’t be motivating enough for you to see it through. It also doesn’t give you a clear image of what you need to do to achieve.
- They aren’t actually about you. In an interview with business insider, psychotherapist Jonathan Alpert, says you have to frame your goals for your own good- not to fit into society or impress friends or family.
- You aren’t actually ready to change. One psychologist, says if you’re not actually ready to make the change you won’t. When you make a goal make sure to take a look inside that goal, and what needs to be done to achieve it. Are you willing to take on the responsibility?
- You didn’t fill the void. If you recently cut out bread or smoking or really anything- find something to fill it with (chewing gum, sudoku, houseplants?) It might help you feel like you’re not really missing out at all.
- Feeling overwhelmed. Keeping a goal is all about perspective. The time between now and your goal is going to pass regardless; don’t worry about rushing to the end. Just spend every day with good intent.
- You’re tired of not seeing progress. The alternative is you go back to your old ways of life and you’ll never see the change- so why not just keep trying. You’ve got nothing to lose but being comfortable.
- Your new goal is expensive. Yep, financial strain is hard enough, but when it’s standing in the way of you and your new life it feels even harder to attain. Try aligning your goals with more affordable habits.
- You didn’t write out a plan. Every good business idea morphs into a business plan. Every life change requires a good plan. Grab your favorite journal it’s time to breakdown those lofty ideas to actionable life changes.
- Not Believing in yourself. This is all about keeping a positive mental attitude but it’s also about self-love. Loving yourself is the key to achieving anything that takes effort. Knowing when to be gentle with yourself, trusting that you are capable.
- You didn’t prepare your environment. If your goal is to eat cleaner, clean all the possessed foods from your cabinets. Make sure your environment is helping you and not working against you.
- You get hung up on the slip-ups. Yes you had a bad day, or you didn’t eat as clean. The good adds up and over time you’ll get the hang of your new habits. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Just keep working on the building blocks.
- You lack a support system. Of course you can look to friends and family, but if that support system just isn’t there, try an online community!
- You don’t remind yourself of your goal every day. While it seems like over-kill try to rewrite your goals every single day. It’s a good way to center your day-to-day actions around your true goal.
One study, found that from a sample of 4,000 people 43% of them expected to give up their new year’s resolutions in just one month. Don’t be one of those 1,720 people – believe in yourself. Remember, time will always pass and you always have the choice of how to use it.
---Klarrisa Arafa, BCRX Content Writer