Let’s hit refresh!

It’s not too late to make resolutions, recalibrate and kickstart healthier habits for the year. Whatever they may be, here are the five most effective approaches for the best chance of success. Go get it!

Start Small

Start small when creating your resolutions stick to something you feel you can manage within your current lifestyle and keep up with. It’s good to dream and aim big, but it’s also important to remain realistic about your environment, resources and capabilities.

For example, let’ say you want to quit caffeine: rather than deciding to stop cold turkey, you could limit yourself to a few cups a week instead. It’ll be easier to resist the temptation, and you’ll be able to avoid it on your own eventually.

Plan for success

Read up on what you are trying to achieve. Do some research before committing to anything you set out to do. What doesn’t get planned, doesn’t get achieved. So break down the resolution into other little steps.

If your goal is to start running, make sure you have shoes, clothes, and phone with an energetic playlist at the ready. Then there can be no excuses.

Celebrate small wins

If you’re too focused on the endgame all the time, it’ll be easy to get discouraged because you’ll find the goal far fetched. That’s why it’s important to reward the smaller successes along the way. Rather than waiting until you’ve lost all 10kg, give yourself a mini “Yay, me!” celebration each time you drop a kilo or two.

If your goal is to read one book a month, don’t save the party until end of the year. After each book, reward yourself with good food, new music, or a zoom night with friends. To help you track important milestones and stay motivated along the way, use your journal.

Give yourself a break

If you fail at your resolution attempt, you’re not alone! Don’t beat yourself up and know that it’s all part of the process. There will be challenges along the way so make a list of what they could possibly be.

Once you’ve identified the challenges, work out ways to cope with and overcome them when they occur. Remember that it’s okay to slip up and then get back on track. This is grit!

Find a community

You don’t need to do it alone, especially if your resolution starts in the new year when plenty of company are trying to make a life change as well. You don’t need to find a special group but you should let one or two friends know about it as accountability partners.

You can also post resolutions on social media to make your goal public along with updates of your progress. You can expect plenty of encouragement and support there as well.

 

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