The new year is upon us, and usually it is the ideal starting point to implement the changes we want to make in our lives. One of the most frequent resolutions set in the new year is health-related, and most of the time it is virtually impossible to maintain the same energy throughout the whole year. Therefore, being aware of what you can change and managing your expectations become crucial factors achieving you new year's health goals, as explained on this week's journal. Read on!

Assess your needs

While well-being is the penultimate goal of taking care of your health, not everything that other people do may be relevant to your own health needs. Comparing yourself to others may put you in a disadvantage and hinders your progress, especially if you are trying to achieve a health goal this new year. By assessing your own needs and implementing the changes into your lifestyle, it can help you sustain the new habit for a longer period of time.

Start small

When you have a big goal in your mind, it is easy to aim high and overlook a lot of things in the process. It is not a rare occurence that tons of health resolutions often goes to waste because of this. The solution is to have a proper plan and doing things one step at a time. Just lie executing any other plans that you might have in your life, starting small can lead you slowly but surely towards your desired outcome, as opposed to aiming big and quitting midway feeling overwhelmed.

Make it a lifestyle

Another thing that makes it hard to keep yearly resolution is the thought of it being a rule that has to be followed. When you aren't treating the resolutions you have in mind as something you agree willingly, it will be a drag just like everything else you've been dreading to do. This is a recipe for failure, therefore it is important to keep a realistic approach when setting your resolutions and make sure those are the ones you can truly see yourself implement throughout your livelihood.

Monitor your progress

Once you are through with your planning, don't forget to keep track of your progress in order to maintain the course of your health journey. Something you promise yourself to do daily, for example, may give you the desired result within a few months time. Monitoring also helps to know if you need to re-adjust your activities in order to achieve your goal faster, or simply as a reminder to keep yourself on track with your new habits.

Hold yourself accountable

Proper planning and monitoring will most likely give you a boost of confidence, as you are aware and sure with the path you are currently taking. At this stage, it might also be beneficial to get your closest ones involved. For example, if you are trying to lose some weight this year, ask your close friend to remind you if you're going overboard with your eating habits. You can also involve them in your training and exercise routine, as doing things together with like-minded people often can fire up your will to achieve your goals.