"The first step toward getting somewhere is to
decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
-Unknown
Do you or have you established New Year's resolutions? How successful have you accomplished your goals, taken the actions required for progress, and consistently followed through, enabling success?
If your answer is "no, I typically have not accomplished my New Year's goals," you are not alone.
Statistics show that 80% of New Year's goals wade or fail by early February, and this high failure rate is why most of our resolutions remain the same year after year. Yet, we continue to make them because we continue to be hopeful of achieving our ambitions.
According to a recent article in the New York Post, the top five New Year's resolutions for 2022 are:
1. Lose, gain or maintain weight
2. Adopt a new workout plan
3. Meal Prep weekly
4. Amp up cooking skills
5. Be more productive
Do any of these resonate with resolutions you have made this year?
Perhaps you've been making these same resolutions for the past ten years or more!
You may start the new year with all the best intentions and begin taking the first steps toward these desired changes, and then life gets in the way. You go back to work after the holiday break, your new walking buddy starts reneging on you, or your spouse starts complaining about your new exercise schedule impeding together time.
How are you supposed to make these changes permanent with what appears to be so much going against you?
How do you finally accomplish these hopes and dreams and make them a reality for you?
My advice is to start by being realistic about the process of change.
Making changes to deeply established habits is not easy because switching behaviors permanently takes quite a bit of effort and planning and will most likely get uncomfortable.
In addition, wavering between the positives and negatives of making lifestyle changes is normal, even when we know these modifications will improve our health, fitness, and wellness. At times the positives (putting in the effort to make changes) will win over the negatives, and at times the negatives (making no effort and staying the same) will win over the positives. This wavering between the two is a natural occurrence the arises when contemplating decisions.
Once a decision is made to change, and weighing of pros versus cons will most likely continue, the goal is to make the new behavior as automatic as brushing your teeth.
For many, we agree with the positives of brushing our teeth daily, from fresh breath to social acceptance and knowing the benefits of good oral hygiene. These positives outweigh the negatives, and we brush our teeth in the morning and evening as a part of our everyday routine. We don't give much thought to it anymore but do it on autopilot.
Brushing your teeth takes approximately two minutes at the start and finish of each day. You most likely have it habit stacked seamlessly into a string of well-established behaviors all sewn together in one linked series of actions.
Let us pretend that you made a new year's resolution to add flossing to your evening routine. You would think this additional action would be as easy as brushing your teeth but find it a struggle to add flossing into your regularly established nighttime routine.
Why would adding something so small be so hard?
The added action of flossing is problematic because it takes more effort and time than just brushing your teeth. It's a new behavior that needs purposefully planning, mindfully daily practice, and consistently performed over time to become ingrained into your automatic behavior patterns.
When establishing new behaviors, my advice is to start small and go slow!
Adding too many new actions at one time can become overwhelming, especially when you juggle various aspects of life such as work, family, children, and daily household chores. The most successful way to transform your lifestyle from harmful habits to intentional healthy behaviors is to start with something tiny that is minimally intrusive. You also want to ensure your new action is something you can successfully do daily without fail. Some examples of small things to get your started would be:
5-10 minutes of movement every day at a specific time (exercise)
Add a serving of fruit or vegetable to one meal every day (nutrition)
Go to bed at the same time every night (lifestyle)
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning before any coffee (nutrition)
Write one thing you are grateful for every night before bed (attitude)
Starting small and going slow may take longer, but statistics prove this method is the best for long-lasting permanent behavior changes. Patience is crucial and can be tricky in our immediate gratification culture. Therefore, remain optimistic about the big picture yet razor-focused on each specific new action at a time.
If you can be realistic about the change process and willing to take the long road of going slow and starting small, you will arrive at the end of this year in a better place than you are today. When you make tiny improvements over 365 days, each small action will add up to achieving the better health goals you desire. Once you start and keep going when things get tough, you can ride the wave of momentum and find yourself living with optimal health, fitness, and wellness for the rest of your life!
We all need a little help sometimes, and if you need support and guidance through this process, please reach out to us. Sign up for a FREE consultation, and let's have a casual chat about your hopes and dreams for better health. Take us for a test drive and determine if the Living LEAN ohana (family) is a good fit for you. We are here to be the biggest cheerleaders in your pursuit of optimal health and well-being.
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