I have shared my story before how I stuck with a New Year's resolution a few years ago and actually made it the entire year. In fact it is a habit that I continue to do to this day. While I can't say it is easy to stick with a goal for an entire year there are a few tricks to make you increase your chance of success.
Here are a few tips to help you make this year's resolution really work:
1. Start with smaller goals.
It is funny how long and how short a year is when you look at it. When we look ahead a year seems like forever. When we look back it passed by in the blink of an eye. When looking towards next years goals start with a smaller duration. You do not have to stick with a goal for 12 months for it to be a success. Sometimes we can hit a goal in a month or two. Then we reevaluate and set a new goal. You probably have a few goals in mind for next year. Keep it short and simple. I heard a great tip recently. Plan out your next three months and pick one specific goal to work on. Just break the year up into smaller segments and go from there. So if you goal is to eat more vegetables, then work on ways you can incorporate more veggies into your diet for three months and then set new goals after that.
2. Set process vs product orient goals.
While it is OK to have both we really want to stick with process goals. This means we focus on habits that we can incorporate or change in our lives to get us to a specific outcome. That specific outcome would be our product goal. For example, most people want to lose weight. Setting a goal of weight 150lbs would be a product goal. It is our end result. While that is a fine goal to have it doesn't mean a whole lot. I can also set a goal that I want to make $1 million this year. That would be great but if I don't set up the steps to reach that goal I will never succeed. So regardless of what your goal is find specific habits you can do to reach your end result. But focus on the process of getting there only.
3. Use SMART goals.
You probably have heard this before, but a SMART goal is a great place to start. If you have never heard of this it simply means when setting a goal it must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. So instead of saying I want to lose 15lbs next year I would say, "I will perform 5 days of at least 30 minutes of exercise until April 1, 2013." By having a specific end date, psychologically it will dramatically increase your adherence to that goal.
4. Write it down.
Most people will never do this, but it is such a simple thing that will help you reach your goal. Simply write it down, read it, and keep it in a place where you will see it. Write your goal down on a piece of paper and keep it next to your bed. When you go to sleep make sure you read it and when you wake up read it again. The more that it is on your mind the more likely you will do it. You can also keep it on the fridge or in the mirror in the bathroom. Any place where you will constantly see it. Sometimes it also helps to write the goal down as if you have already succeeded. So you can say something like, "Today is June 1st, 2013 and I am sitting out by the pool on our family vacation. I finally fit into my old bathing suit that I haven't worn in 5 years. I even see a few guys across the pool checking me out. I can't believe how much younger, more energetic, and healthier I feel now" You can write it anyway that would be significant for you.
So let's see if you can stick to this goal for 2013. It is much easier when you have a realistic game plan set in place.
You Stay Healthy San Diego,
Mike Deibler
San Diego Premier Training
My Workout Creator
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