One in three Americans resolved to better themselves in 2014 and the vast majority of resolutions were about health. Unfortunately, as of mid month, 75% of those folks who had good intentions have already given up!
If this applies to you, don’t be hard on yourself. There are several reasons why people are challenged by resolutions:
1. Most people don’t take the time to paint in in-depth vision of how their life will change as a result of the changes they intend to make. As a result, when the tough times occur the focus tends to be on the obstacle instead of the intended result. This undermines all of the hard work. Spend some time thinking about how your life is going to change and keep visual reminders of these changes posted in strategic places in your life, i,e.. bathroom mirror, somewhere in your car, or the refrigerator.
2. Many people create unrealistic goals for themselves. For example, if the goal is to lose 10 pounds in January, it is easy to be disappointed by a 4 or 5 pound weight loss. Stay focused on the activity around eating healthier and avoid over emphasizing the results. Results will always come if you do the right activity. It is just a matter of time before you get to your first goal.
3. Create a support system for your new behavior. Everything seems harder when you try to do it in isolation. Buddy up with some friends who have the same goals. They know what you are going through and can be a valuable source of great ideas to make it easier.
4. It takes tools to help you create behavior change. Working with an experienced professional who has resources and experience to help make the job simpler could be exactly what you need.
5. Half the battle is making the decision to change. The decision can sometimes be overwhelming so just remember the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. No pun intended!
Just remember to focus on the process and not perfection. You have the rest of 2014 to achieve your goal!