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Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 | 2 a.m.
With each new year comes a laundry list of resolutions: Lose 10 pounds. Be present. Volunteer more. Spend more time with family. Eat more veggies. Practice minimalism. Implement a budget. Pay off credit cards. Spend less time on the phone. Set more goals.
What feels motivating initially can feel daunting after just a few weeks. So what happens if you feel like you’ve already dropped the ball since the ball dropped?
Not to worry. Let’s face it, you have the majority of the year to get back on track, and these tips and tricks will help you in no time.
1. Be gentle on yourself and your goals
Most resolutions are changes you want to maintain beyond 365 days, so go easy on yourself. Start small. If you haven’t exercised but you made a resolution to go to the gym, start with three days a week. Ramp up your time after a few months. If you’re giving up sugar, try supplementing your cravings first with natural sugars like fruit before going cold turkey.
2. Resolution re-check
Before entering self-criticism about why you’ve fallen away from your resolutions, ask yourself if they were set up correctly in the first place. Being specific and clear in intention will help. Instead of saying, “Lose weight this year,” say, “Lose five pounds in two months.” If your goal was to run more, aim for a certain number of miles per week. If you wanted to finish a passion project, set appointments on your calendar. It’s easier to say, “Write one chapter every two weeks” than “finish novel by Dec. 31, 2018.”
3. Share your journey
Most of us have social media, so why not use it to reach your goals? To keep yourself accountable, check in online when going to the gym, volunteering or visiting any other goal destination. Ask for advice from others. By utilizing platforms, you can build a tribe that helps you move closer to your goals.
4. Affirmations along the way
A famous saying goes, “Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” Find ways to thank yourself for beginning the journey. Only ran two miles this week? Say, “I did my best this week, and next week I will double my mile count.” Ordered ice cream when you said no sugar? Say, “Tomorrow is a new day, and every meal will be an intentional, healthy choice.” Reward yourself for achieving goals. Little acts of kindness for yourself will make the process feel all the more worth it.
Habits to start today
The trick with any resolution is taking it from days to decades. Habits can be formed in under a month, and tiny actions every day can make other goals easy to achieve.
• Get your ZZZs: The freedom of going to sleep whenever you want is nice, but ultimately your body needs a consistent period of rest. Aim for 6-8 hours and set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than you think you need. Extra time to make your bed and enjoy breakfast can set you up for a good day.
• Less screen time: This one is a given, right? Leave your phone in a room other than your bedroom and remove yourself from social media an hour before bed. Use the QualityTime app and adjust from there.
• Go for the green: Eating veggies is crucial to feeling good. Three-to-five servings a day is recommended, but start with two and work your way up. Throw a handful of kale into your smoothie, put spinach in your egg scramble and add carrots and snow peas to your snack bag. Essential vitamins are packed into these vegetables.
• Deep breaths: Research continues to prove that taking just 10 minutes a day to be still, breathe deeply and use positive visualization improves daily life. Having a hard time sitting still? Find a playlist and set up a corner of your home. Start with two minutes and work your way up.
Tools to make it happen
There’s an app for just about everything, including a few that can make your life (and resolutions) easier.
• For running: Strava. A running club built into your phone. Share with friends, and compare distance, time and frequency. Not looking for competition? You can keep your profile private and just challenge yourself.
• For weight loss: My Fitness Pal. Start by setting up your profile with your weight, goal weight and time frame. The app gives you the ideal number of calories you should consume daily based on your goal. It also tracks activities and the nutrients you are getting from your food.
• For meditation: Headspace. Hundreds of guided meditations make it easy to get your zen on. There’s even SOS activities for when you are feeling anxious.
• For organization: Asana. Great for personal use or when collaborating, Asana lets you upload tasks and extensive to-do lists within each task.
• For monitoring your screen time: QualityTime. Ever wonder how many hours you spend mindlessly scrolling? Use this app to get an idea of the hours you spend on your phone.
• For budgeting: Dollarbird and Shoeboxed. Dollarbird uses a calendar to track when bills are due, when you get paid and when you are spending the most money. At the end of the month, you can see where your money goes. Shoeboxed is a spender’s nightmare but allows you to upload receipts so you can track your spending.
• For being more intentional: WOOP. WOOP is your wish, outcome, obstacle plan. The app aims to help beat the obstacles that deter you from your goals by taking you through four essential steps needed to achieve success.
