How to make and keep your new year’s resolution
Posted By: Transnet Foundation
30.01.2015
Year in and year out most of us find ourselves with arm-long lists of resolutions that we make at the beginning of the year and rarely stick to them for longer than two months. It is easier to cave into the pressures of everyday life and go back to our old habits.
Year in and year out most of us find ourselves with arm-long lists of resolutions that we make at the beginning of the year and rarely stick to them for longer than two months. It is easier to cave into the pressures of everyday life and go back to our old habits.
Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular, overwhelming goal on January 1 can help you reach whatever it is you strive for. Remember, it is not the extent of the change that matters, but rather the act of recognizing that lifestyle change is important and working toward it, one step at a time.
By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year, incorporating healthy behavior into your everyday life.
Don’t be too ambitious
Make resolutions that you think you can keep. If, for example, your aim is to exercise more frequently, schedule three or four days a week at the gym instead of seven. If you would like to eat healthier, try replacing dessert with something else you enjoy, like fruit or yogurt, instead of seeing your diet as a form of punishment.
Change one behavior at a time
Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time. Thus, replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones requires time. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one thing at a time.
Don’t beat yourself up
If you stumble and fall, don’t despair. Naturally there will be challenges head and what matters the most is getting up. Do not give up on your resolution, no matter how many times you fall down. Recover from the mistakes you make and keep going.
