How to Actually Keep a Resolution
New year new me?
Making New Year’s resolutions comes with baggage. I know from personal experience that around mid-January I usually already run out of steam when I am trying to completely change my life.
While actually making resolutions in January may not always work out, it should not discourage us from trying at any point in the year. I find that January can give us a new perspective on what we are looking to change in our life.
Here are four ways to reframe the way you think about new years resolution so you can stick with it:
1. Stick to one thing
Maybe you want to change five major or minor things about your life. While this tenacity is admirable you are just one person…who has a life to sustain. Start small and don’t be ashamed of just trying to change one thing at a time.
If you have a health and fitness goals, maybe begin by researching healthy recipes. Many people will get overwhelmed if they suddenly take up five days in the gym and cutting out all sugar and carbs at once.
2. Don't beat yourself up
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are new habits. Whether you are trying to read more books or make career change, forming a new way of thinking is a challenging task.
If you truly want to see the results from your goal don’t be afraid of failing. It’s the moments when we get completely off track but pull ourselves back to our ambitions that we grow.
3. Add it to your schedule
When you are trying to make a change, it is important to try to integrate it into your weekly or even daily routine. One of the best tips for integrating a new task into your schedule is from the book The Creative Habits by Twyla Tharp. Author and Choreographer Tharp explains that she begins her day by going to the gym. In order to complete this task through she focuses on one aspect of a time. She reframes her one task in the morning as calling the cab that will take her to the gym.
4. Find the joy in it
If a resolution isn’t working out for you it might not be your fault. Sometimes we have to rethink or reimagine the tools we have to make our life great. Just because a large sum of people claim that spin classes have changed their life does not necessarily mean that it will spark joy for you.
