Don’t wait for New Years to start your new healthy goals.
New Years is the number one date people will make a resolution to take care of their health and start heading to the gym.
We usually over indulge, eating way too much over the holidays. Following up with the thought that we promise to hit the gym regularly starting in January.
But why are we waiting till an arbitrary date to start our healthy habit? Especially when the success rate of a New Years resolution is around 8%.
We like to put it off. Plain and simple – it’s easier to say next year, rather than next week or even better next meal.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying yourself in social settings during the holiday season. It is perfectly fine to have some of your favorite Christmas treats. What we don’t want to do – is over eating following what your eyes want vs what your stomach can handle.
If we chronically under eat, you are more likely to binge. So to avoid binge eating you want to make sure to have small, moderate portions of goodies while keeping your other meals relatively healthy. Try to stay hydrated as it is easy to mix up your signals for being thirsty instead of hungry.
Beginning your new routine now, you will be more likely to keep it. It isn’t just some promise thrown in, to be a “new year, new me”
Being healthy means making sustainable changes. Choosing things you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life. This includes your nutrition and exercise habits.
Don’t put all this pressure on yourself to do a 180 on January 1st to repent for what we did during the holidays.
You are making the outcome almost inevitable.
When we try to change too much, too soon. You are more likely to fail. It’s like learning to juggle. Two balls is manageable, three is difficult, four is nearly impossible.
We need to be able to get into a rhythm and slowly incorporate our new habits into our lives if we want to be successful.
Start by making small changes like adding more water into your day and trying to reach for the caffeine less.
As we get use to our swaps, progressively make them healthier.
For examples of healthy swaps, check out the photo below
We want to aim for progress, not perfection. Changing too much, too fast, too soon will be past what most peoples capabilities can sustain.
You may be able to keep it up for a few weeks, but it will be difficult to maintain it long enough to hit your goals.
By all means if you are able to be strict with yourself and maintain your new habits, keep kicking ass!
However, most people will not be able to take on this many changes, especially when life throws you a few curve balls.
When you introduce one new habit, you are 50-80% likely to succeed. Every single habit added will make you less and less likely to stick to your new routine.
How to introduce new habits
So as I was mentioning above you want to start with one habit.
You want to make this one habit your focus.
Now when choosing a new habit you want to start with realistic goals.
Example: if you don’t drink enough water and want to set your sights on making it into a habit, you wouldn’t want to set your goal at drinking 2.5 liters a day.
You would start by increasing it from what you currently drink a day + 3 cups more. Since this is an easy hurdle to surpass each day you are more likely to stick with the habit.
Make your new habit visual! What does this mean? Make sure you put your habit front and center. If you are wanting to drink more water, get a jug and carry it with you everywhere. It should always be within reach if you want to be successful in drinking more water.
Another way to get yourself visually motivated, would be to put a green check mark by everyday you complete your goal. Put a big red x on any days you failed to finish the task. For extra measure you could also put how many days in a row you have successful reached your goal.
It may seem small, but this gentle reminder will make you want to get to your goal by stacking up how many days you accomplished. If you are on a streak, you will be more motivated to stay on track and get your goal done.
Next you want to make a clear plan for increasing your water. Are you going to carry a bottle around with you? Will you set timelines for when you need to finish off your water? How about setting an alarm on your phone to go off every 2 hours to remind yourself to down a glass.
The picture above shows a very clear action plan to help you succeed.
Another way to keep it in mind – is to pair your new habit with something you already do.
For example, every time I get up from my desk at work I will drink a cup of water. Make sure to keep a glass at your desk and refill it every time you finish it.
When you feel you are being consistent in your new habit where it’s becoming an automatic response, you can either up your current goal – aiming to drink 4-6 extra cups of water. Or you can add a new habit if you have successfully completed the last one.
How long it will take you to reach your goals depends on many factors. It will take anywhere from three weeks up to 8.5 months to make your new habit into a routine. Most people will average building a new habit at about 66 days.
So to sum it up, take small actionable steps toward your goal. Pick one single thing and practice it until it’s no longer a thought.
Something is ALWAYS better than nothing. Keep your habit in your sight, making sure it’s easy to complete. Make a plan! If you don’t plan, your planning to fail.
If you have any questions on how to get to your goal or need help in any way, please let me know! You can reach me by leaving a comment, emailing, sending a message, or contacting me through social media.
Are you wanting to dive into more tips to reach your goals? Click here
Would you like to read more about setting yourself up for success? Click here to read an article by my one of my favorite Authors, James Clear. He is an incredible source of motivation. If you haven’t read Atomic Habits, I would highly suggest it!
Thank you kindly for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you have the best day!
Lastly, don’t wait for New Years to roll around. Start small, and start now.
You can definitely do this!
Your Coach Chantal Alexis – Simplifying fitness to get to your best you!
Your Coach Chantal Alexis – Simplifying fitness to get to your best you!
