Welcome to a new year. You have probably set some resolutions for yourself, whether that’s written down, or just sitting in your head. Most people manage to keep those resolutions for only a couple of weeks. I want to share some ways to make those resolutions stick, by doing small things consistently.
As a Health and Wellness Coach, I am here to help you figure out ways to remove the habits that aren’t enriching your life, and then replacing them with better routines that keep you healthy, energetic and happy.
So, here are 5 tips to keep those positive routines flowing:
Tip 1
Write down your goals for 2018. Don’t just think about, actually write them down. Set only three for the year, no more and no less! If you write down less than 3 goals, you will just ignore them. And if you set more than 3 goals, it’s too much, and seems unachievable. So please stick to just 3 goals. They can be big goals or small goals – a goal is a goal. It may be to travel overseas for the first time, or it could be cutting out sugar in your diet. Then, write underneath, what success looks like so you have a clear vision of life as a more balanced, healthy, happy you. Underneath that, write what failure looks like. Research shows that having that contrast really helps motivation for moving away from the unhealthy, unbalanced life into better, healthy habits. Then, stick those goals up on the inside of your toilet door, or your bathroom mirror, or somewhere else you’ll see them daily. A constant reminder of where you want to be, will help you to get there.
Tip 2
Take an old, unhealthy habit and replace it with a new one. This is really important. You need to fill that hole with something beneficial. For example; if you drink too much coffee, start your day with some water and fresh-squeezed lemon before you have your first coffee. Having some lemon water will improve your digestion as well as energizing you. It gives you a shot of antioxidants and Vitamin C which is great for your immune system. Then save your first coffee of the day for about 11am, when you actually need a bit of perking up. Or, instead of having your first alcoholic drink for the day at 6pm, have a 30-minute stretch instead. That’s one less beer or one less glass of wine that you will have for the night, and you will have a lot more flexibility in your body too.
Tip 3
Right now is the perfect time to create a new habit. Research shows that if you can do it for 10 days in a row at the same time every day you’re more likely to keep it up. Set a routine and do everything you can, to make it happen for 10 days straight.
I suggest to set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier than you usually do and also start your morning with 10 sun salutes. I call this the 10 x 10 x 10 challenge! It make your life 1000 times better.
Tip 4
Sort out a support team. Life is so much better with a partner, and it’s so much easier to do something new if you have someone at your side. Even if it’s them kicking you out of bed on those days you can’t be bothered. Don’t worry. On the days that THEY can’t be bothered, you can do the kicking too. It could be your wife, your husband, or a friend, or your neighbor. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as you know they’ll be willing to support you, just like you’re willing to support them.
Tip 5
Tell more people about your goals – your family, your friends, just share! They will keep you honest by asking how things are going. You should be proud of yourself, believe in it. When its accountable its more likely to actually happen and become a reality rather than a dream. For example, you want to go to New York. Share this goal with your friends, talk about and get excited together. Then it’s more likely to happen.
If you REALLY want to get some extra motivation to make it happen, then you can use an anti-charity. For example, your aim is to do yoga three times a week for the whole year. Then, give $100 cash to a friend and tell them to put it in a safe place. At the end of the year, if you’ve managed to stay in routine and do yoga three times a week for the whole year, then that money is spent on a fun night out together as a reward. If you haven’t done it, your friend has to put the money in an envelope and send it to a cause you hate, like the Australian Tobacco Lobby, or something else that you feel is just as evil. Studies show that with getting motivation for resolutions, people would rather not lose something than gain something. For the anti-charity to work and help you, the issue can’t be something that you feel luke warm about. It really has to be something that you despise and would absolutely hate to get your money.
So there are my five tips. But the biggest tip I have to give you is to stop EVERYDAY and take a moment to be grateful to be alive. Then ask yourself if you’re living the life you really want to live. If you’re not, then it’s time to make a change.
