Is anyone else having trouble believing we are in the last few days of 2017?! This year flew by and to be honest, I’m a little sad to see it end. 2017 was a year of ups and downs, but with that came a lot of growth and learning, and exciting new opportunities. I’m excited to see what 2018 will bring.

With the new year comes New Year’s Resolutions. I love to spend some time on New Year’s Eve really thinking about my goals and what I want to accomplish in the coming year. Creating those resolutions is always so exciting – I feel so motivated and energized, like I can do anything. And I hold onto that feeling for the first few weeks, maybe even a month or two, but then it starts to taper off…sound familiar?

When it comes to setting goals, which is what New Year’s resolutions really are, we tend to have pretty high expectations of ourselves – and that is a GREAT thing! We should be aiming high, dreaming beyond what seems realistic, otherwise how will we ever know what we can truly accomplish? The trouble with these big goals isn’t the goals themselves, but it’s the feeling of overwhelm that can set in as the excitement begins to wear off, or wanting to quit when it starts to get hard. But don’t get discouraged! There are simple ways you can set big goals and CRUSH them, and I’m going to share a few of them with you now.

1. Break it Down

Whether your goal is to eat healthier, lose a few pounds, or spend less time watching TV, breaking your goal down into manageable chunks will make you more likely to stick to your goals.

Let’s say you watch 3 hours of TV every night and you want to get it down to 0. Here is what your break down might look like:

• First, pick another way to fill your time, like reading a book (or knitting, coloring, meditating, exercising, whatever feels appealing to you). Be sure to pick something you enjoy, because if you pick folding laundry I have a feeling you’ll be back to watching TV before you know it.

• Next set a manageable goal, such as turning off the TV 15 minutes early to read.

• Do this for 1 week, and then increase your amount of reading time and decrease your TV time by 5 minutes for each subsequent week.

In 6 months or so you’ll be spending your nights enjoying your new pastime instead of watching TV on the couch. Who knows, as you start to increase your time with your new hobby each week, you may find you enjoy it so much you don’t want to watch any TV, getting you to your goal even faster.

2. Remember your “why”

I’m going to get really honest with you right now- there is probably going to come a time as you are working towards your goals that things get HARD. The truth is, anything worth having takes hard work, but even though we know that, it’s easy to get discouraged and question whether the hard work is worth it. This is when you are going to want to lean on your “WHY”, the reason you set this goal in the first place. Was your resolution to lose weight? Why? To be healthier? Why? So that you can play with your kids on the playground and teach them good, healthy habits that will last a lifetime? Bingo! Now right that “WHY” down. Put it on a post-it and stick it to your bathroom mirror so it’s one of the first things you see each day. Recite it out loud and say it like you really believe it (even if you don’t yet – trust me, it won’t be long before you do). Anytime you feel yourself making excuses or thinking about quitting, go back to your “WHY”.

 

3. Find a buddy

This last one is a fun one. It is always easier to stick to your goals when there is someone else there to hold you accountable. It’s great if you can find someone to commit to the same goal, but if that’s not possible, find someone you trust to confide in. Let the other person know what you are doing and tell them your “WHY”. Ask them to help you stick to your goal, to remind you of your why, and of how good you will feel when you reach your goal. If you’ve set a reward for when you hit your goal, tell them that too. Then, lean on them! When you want to go through the drive-thru, call your buddy and ask them remind you why you are working hard to eat healthier and of all the hard work you’ve already done!

Everyday that you stay on track toward your goal you are showing yourself how strong you are. You are proving to your subconscious that you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to. Suddenly those big dreams, those dreams that seemed too ridiculous to ever say out loud go from “no way” to “why not”.

My name is Jessica and I am a wife, mom, and wellness coach. I love keeping my family healthy and happy and my passion is sharing my family friendly recipes and workout tips with all of you. If you enjoyed this workout tip please follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JessicaDooley.mamabefit/

 

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I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year! See you in 2018!- Jessica Dooley