Another New Year is upon us. January is the month for fresh starts, new goals and better lifestyles. New Year’s resolutions are set but quickly broken. How do we go about setting realistic goals for ourselves and carry through with them?

 

Every year Brian and I sit down and discuss what changes we would like to occur in our personal lives. These changes can relate to our health and nutrition, lifestyle, financial goals and changes that we want to implement to improve our situation as a couple. We don’t wait unit December 31 and decide that our “diet starts tomorrow”. We schedule a time to sit down and verbalize how the year has gone and what changes could occur to make our lives better.    Most people, in regards to health and nutrition, postpone the inevitable, tomorrow never seems to come. The pounds slowly sneak up on them without the realization that something should have been done a long time ago. This makes the task seem daunting and unachievable. 

 

We believe that it is important to set short term dates and goals. By setting goals weekly or monthly the task is not as overwhelming. It gives you something to work towards on a short term. Feeling like you have accomplished something regularly will keep you motivated.

 

Write goals down. We set goals for the entire year. Each of these items should have a date to be achieved.  Our nutrition goals are set around vacation times. We know exactly which months are 100% strict, which months allow for the odd restaurant meal, which months we can relax and not worry if something comes up and we need to socialize for a birthday or special occasion. By knowing these dates, it makes the year’s nutrition task much easier to follow. If you never have an “end”, something to work towards, losing focus occurs. 

 

Reward yourself. Giving yourself that “pat on the back” throughout the year makes you work harder. Setting goals and achieving them is a difficult task. You certainly couldn’t work at your job all year and not get paid, why should this be any different? The reward doesn’t have to be monetary or substantial, it just needs to be something to tell you that a job has been well done.

 

Let others know. If you decide that you are going to lose weight, quit smoking or start exercising and no one else knows, you are setting yourself up for failure. Your friends and family should be supportive of the goals that you have set for yourself, you should not be afraid to let others know. By hiding your goals says you don’t think that you can achieve them. Believe in what you want to accomplish, don’t let others stand in your way. It is very empowering to set a goal and achieve it. This allows you to set higher standards for yourself knowing that your word is your word. It spills into all other aspects of your life.    

 

Find a “partner” that has similar goals and motivate each other. Finding an exercise or nutrition buddy may help you stay focused and on track. If you are having a bad day or lacking in drive, your partner should be there to help pull you through. Brian and I set bi- monthly meetings to sit down and discuss how we feel we are doing with goals that have been set for the month. We schedule these times away from the house, usually a coffee meeting, so that full focus is given to each other. Knowing that there is going to be a discussion every two weeks is an excellent way to keep focused and on track. 

 

Believe in yourself. Believing that you are capable of following through with a plan makes you a confident, positive individual. This positivity carries through in your day to day functions. Life is far more enjoyable when you are goal oriented.   Challenging yourself gives you drive and discipline making you a stronger individual.