Whether losing weight, eating healthier, balancing everyday life or doing enough sports, people always make a lot of resolutions for a new year. But the good intentions also really implement, is not so easy. Some people find it difficult to overcome their inner obstacles. So many resolutions fail already at the beginning of the year. Others lack ambition and stamina, which means they never reach their goal. We give eleven good tips on how to actually put your resolutions into practice without breaking them off prematurely.
1. set small goals
Don’t overwhelm yourself with several resolutions right away or set your goals too high. It is better to set small intermediate goals. Because achieved intermediate goals lead to many small successes with moments of happiness and help to stay on the ball. And the recurring moments of happiness increase your motivation. This makes it easier to achieve the resolution – the big goal. After a small result has been achieved, it is worthwhile to gradually increase and further develop your own performance. 10 good resolutions for the new year
2. formulate goals in concrete terms
Immediately after you make a resolution, you should clearly formulate it and come up with a strategy. For example, if you want to lose weight, the resolution “I want to lose weight as soon as possible” is not enough. It is better to think about how many kilograms you want to lose in which period of time with which diet. At the beginning, think about how you can best achieve your goal and formulate a method for yourself that can be easily integrated into your everyday life. If you have thought through your resolution well, you can also create a monthly or annual plan. When implementing your resolution, it is helpful to keep a diary. In it, you can note down your well-being, your daily routine and the goals you have achieved. Writing it down helps to keep a concrete record of the resolution, to plan it in a manageable way and to quickly recognize mistakes in the implementation. In addition, a clearly formulated goal also prepares you mentally for the project in the best possible way. This often helps to overcome the inner pig and to start with the implementation.
3. rewards in between
Small rewards in between increase motivation and help develop discipline. It is best to reward yourself after small stage victories. For example, treat yourself as soon as you have lost a few kilos – even if the desired weight has not yet been reached. Reward yourself with something that is not directly related to your good resolution. For example, if you want to quit smoking, you could reward yourself with a visit to a nice restaurant after a month of cigarette withdrawal.
4. seek allies
Staying true to your good intentions is often easier in a group. Therefore, consider joining a club or meeting:
- The regular appointments oblige you to go even when you don’t really feel like it. This makes it harder to give up.
- If one is affiliated with a group in which all members have similar intentions, you can motivate each other.
- In addition, you can prove yourself in the group and show that you can keep up.
Often, the fun factor and social interaction is already enough motivation to participate in the group in the long term and achieve desired goals.
5. do not let it get you down
Failures occur once in every project. However, you should not let this get you down. Make yourself much more aware that failures will be the order of the day at the beginning. You can think about the right way to deal with a failure in advance. Always see a crisis as an opportunity. For example, you can find out why you failed. If failures occur more frequently, you may need to question the goal or change the methodology.
6. make plans public
Tell friends and family about your plan. They will give you support and can help you implement it. The realization of your plan will be much easier. In addition, motivation increases because you have in the back of your mind the motto: “I will prove it to you”. The more people know about your plans, the harder it is to back out and your own pride almost automatically drives you to continue.
7. start early with the implementation
It’s best to start implementing your resolutions right away.The longer we put off implementing an idea, the less important it seems to us. After a few days, our subconscious attests to the fact that the project cannot be that important. To avoid this consequence, you should put the idea directly into action. Afterwards, it is important to grit your teeth, especially during the first few weeks. Because after about 21 days a habit effect occurs.
8. not too many resolutions
Too much renunciation at the same time is counterproductive. Therefore, you should first take on one resolution before tackling another. For example, there’s no point in giving up chocolate while you’re trying to quit smoking. It’s better to focus on one thing consistently. After you have routinely implemented one resolution, the next resolution can take its turn.
9. keep the “what for in the first place?” in mind.
Make it clear why you want to achieve a particular goal in the first place. Often people want to exercise more to lose weight or to prevent cardiovascular problems. In the long run, both provide better health and well-being. Knowing this should be motivation enough.
10. create rituals
Before you tackle your good resolution, mental preparations or rituals can help you get started. For example, you can make it a habit to exercise at a certain time of day and get in the mood by stretching beforehand.
11. do something good
Besides groups and clubs, there are other ways of motivation. For example, participating in a sponsored run for a good cause can be a driving force to exercise regularly. In addition, there are countless apps that allow you to donate money for every kilometer you run (sponsors are behind this) or receive vouchers after a certain amount of running. Workout at home: 14 fitness exercises
