Resolutions are often synonymous with new beginnings. As we are approaching the upcoming new year, most people have probably put their resolutions and plans to change a lot of things in the new year. While change can be done anytime, doing it in the new year often feels like starting anew with a clean slate. These plans and resolutions are often spread out throughout different facets of life, such as financial resolutions, plans to achieve more in professional life, to health and fitness resolutions. However, resolutions are often short-lived, and probably forgotten as people move several months through the year. Why is this so? There are a few possibilities, but it's very likely that these resolutions are too overwhelming or simply are too unrealistic to be achieved. Therefore, on this week's journal, we will be explaining a few tips that you can implement to ensure a better new year and achieve your resolutions. Read on!

Set specific and realistic goals

It's ironic to know that most people would probably give up or forget their new year's resolution one or two months into the year. Why exactly is it so hard to keep new habits we've promised to make? There are a few possibilities, including planning too many goals, or being not specific enough with your goals. Striving for change is a good start. However, setting realistic goals and managing expectation about the result is equally, if not more important. Knowing yourself and your abilities early on can help you set a reasonable goal and not overestimate the things you can do. This reality check is also important to empower yourself with the correct motivation, as well as preventing frustration once you're unable to reach your goal.

Make small changes

Change is inevitable in life. There are a lot of factors that may lead us to change, including the things that we wish to depart from in order to improve our livelihood. If you have been wanting to lose weight, drastically changing your diet and cutting back on all the foods you once love to eat is definitely doable, but probably won't last for the long haul. You will soon have a craving over those things. Therefore, implement small changes that you can do day-by-day, and make sure those are the ones you can actually manage and enjoy doing at the end of the day

Implement new habits into your lifestyle

One of the reasons why permanent change takes a long time to turn into a lifestyle, is because you need time to get used to it. When you implement these changes into your daily life, it will become a new habit for you to keep up with. For example, if you strive to be more physically active this year, cutting off 30 minutes daily of sitting behind your desk or spending less time in front of your TV might actually help you start well. Use those 30 minutes to do light exercises, walking, or cycling around your neighborhood. From that onwards, you can then start adding more time daily to be active, say adding 10 minutes every one or two weeks. You can also take the stairs at work more often, or park your car in further spot so you have an excuse to walk more. These small adjustments, although may seem insignificant, can help you reach your goal step by step, as opposed to making drastic changes that may actually frustrate you and instead causing you to throw in the towel early on.

Be consistent and keep your discipline

Consistency is always key to succeed in whatever you do, including achieving your health goals for the new year. Once you get the hang of doing your new habits, it takes another energy to keep up with the pace and discipline yourself to do it every time. This is why setting a reasonable goal is key, because then it can minimize the potential to make excuses to not do the things you say you will do. Keeping a mental note of why you're doing these changes to your lifestyle and visualizing your end goal can also help you to be disclipined.

Focus on the process

Finally, realize that every change you do in your lifestyle may help you get one step closer to achieve that healthier lifestyle. With every effort, there will always be room for improvement, even for those who already seem to have it all together. It's better to always focus on your own road to fitness than to compare yourself with those who you think are better than you are, as every person's path is different. All in all, think of achieving overall health as a change in heart in transforming your lifestyle, and as a lifelong journey instead of a destination.