Struggling to Keep Those New Year’s Resolutions? Try This.
Leave that “all or nothing” mentality at the door!
I was recently asked for my top three tips on how to follow through with New Year’s resolutions, and it got me thinking about how we need to reframe the way we look at resolutions, and habits, in general.
People often view resolutions through an “all or nothing” lens, which severely limits the chances of successful behavior change. The reality is that it’s the middle ground — between sticking to a resolution perfectly and giving up completely — where a resolution becomes a habit.
That’s because when we get right down to it, resolutions are nothing more than intentions to make different choices. You’re choosing to behave differently, and we have to actively make the choice to [insert your resolution] time and time again. It’s not a one time decision but a commitment to making better choices on repeat.
Failure Isn’t An Option
When someone sets out on a health journey or begins the hard work of creating (or breaking) a habit, the word “fail” should be removed from their vocabulary altogether. Breaking your resolution or slipping back into a bad habit is a one-time mistake that shouldn’t be considered a failure — we’re all human, and perfection isn’t possible (more on that later). Instead, think of a setback as a learning opportunity, and come up with a plan for how to make a different choice next time.
Progress is never perfectly linear…there will be setbacks, and bad choices will inevitably be made from time to time. But that should never stop you from moving forward toward your goal. Don’t ever let one mistake or “break” from your resolution derail you. Accept that the setback happened, and move on!
Our mindset is what makes or breaks us in these situations. It’ll come as no surprise, then, that my top three tips to follow through with New Year’s resolutions all have to do with mindset!
Tip #1: Practice progress over perfection.
One of the pillars of my Cellular Health Accelerator program is the mantra “progress over perfection.” I teach my students to employ this mindset right out of the gate, because — like I mentioned above — we’re all human and missteps and mistakes will happen despite our best intentions. The way we handle setbacks is what matters most! Don’t give up, and focus on the progress you’re making instead of how perfectly you’re achieving your goal. Progress trumps perfection every single time!
Tip #2: Give yourself grace; don’t wallow in guilt.
If you want to see your worst critic, take a look in the mirror! It may sound silly, but our internal dialogue — the thoughts we think and the “truths” we tell ourselves — matters, and has a significant impact on our ability to make positive changes in our lives. I always say that you should be talking to yourself as if you’re talking to a friend…if you wouldn’t say it to a friend, don’t say it to yourself! Do your best to stay focused on the positive instead of the negative, even when you feel like you’ve blown it. Emotion tends to hijack our thinking when we make mistakes, leading to thoughts like “I’m a failure,” or “I always blow it.” These are not logical thoughts, they’re emotional and exaggerated. Focus instead on what’s real and logical — “I made one mistake, it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person.”
Tip #3: Keep your “why” firmly in mind.
When establishing new habits, especially when they fall outside your comfort zone or are difficult to stick with, you need something stronger than just a desire to change…you need to identify the reason why you want to make this change in your life, and keep that top of mind to maintain motivation. Perhaps you’ve started eating healthy or exercising to lose weight — is it because you can no longer participate in a certain activity you enjoy? Or you’re missing time with your loved ones because you always feel tired and depleted? Identify your why, and think about it often to keep yourself on track.
Now…let’s all aim to make healthy resolutions throughout the year, not just in January!
