7 Ways to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution
7. Name it—Write down exactly what you want to do.
I want to lose 40 lbs. Or I want to run a marathon.
6. Give it a deadline—I want to lose 40 lbs. by July. Or I want to run a marathon in August.
5. Review it—Get a Post-it note and hang it some place that you will see it everyday.
4. Seek help—get a coach, a trainer, a partner, a mentor, or anyone else who can help you with whatever goal you have set for yourself. They will help keep you accountable.
3. Small changes = Big Results—You don’t have to make drastic changes right at the beginning. The hardest part is just starting. Slow and steady wins the race.
2. Have Fun—If it’s not, you won’t stick with it.
1. Stop Making Resolutions—If you’ve been making the same resolution for the last 3 or 4 years in a row, consider the fact that you really don’t want to change. (At least not yet.) There may come a time when you’re ready, but it doesn’t have to be January 1st. It’s ok to not torture yourself year after year and start your new year off failing. When you’re ready to achieve whatever goal you want to achieve, you can use the other six ways I have listed to finally obtain that goal.
When I ran my first marathon this year, I gave myself six months to train for it. I couldn’t even run a mile without stopping a couple times when I first set that goal. I wrote down that I wanted to run a marathon on Oct. 3, 2010 on a piece of paper. I left the note on my dresser and I saw it every morning when I got dressed. I saw it laying there again every night when I charged my cell phone.
Once I got to where I could run six miles, I joined a running group and got a coach. Being active just became part of my lifestyle and I lost 37 pounds in six months. But for me, weight loss wasn’t the goal, finishing the marathon was. I crossed the finish line in six hours and fifty minutes, which is very slow, but I finished. And if an overweight guy with Plantar Fasciitis can run (or walk) a marathon using these principles, then I’m sure you can do whatever it is you want to do too. And if you don’t think so, then see Rule #1 and think about it again next year.