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Before the New Year begins, I like to look back at what I have accomplished over the past year. Completing my Bachelors degree, helping a friend plan her wedding, and ending the first semester of graduate school with a 3.4 ends 2014 on a good note. I also like to make a new years resolution for the upcoming year. The most common resolutions include quitting smoking, spending more time with family and friends, spending less money, and of course, losing weight and exercising more. Unfortunately, only 64% of people will still stick to their resolutions after one month. After six months, that number drops to 44%. So why does this happen? Reasons such as no planning and the resolution being too big of a goal can all impact the success. To start the New Year off right, I’ve included some tips on how to stick with your resolutions for the long run.
–Have a plan: Instead of just saying you want to lose weight, be specific and have a plan of what you will do to lose weight. Will you cut back on soda, juice, and tea and drink water instead? Are you going to exercise in the morning or evening? Will you choose grilled food over fried foods?
–Get Support: Support from family and friends can go a long way when it comes to losing weight. By having support, they can make sure you are sticking to your goals. Some family and friends may even have the same resolution as you. Why not work together to reach your goals?
–Set Mini-goals: Many individuals set goals that are not feasible in a short amount of time. If you want to lose 30 pounds, why not set mini goals of losing 5 pounds a month? This way you will not be discouraged if you only lose 2 pounds in a week. You will be more likely to continue on rather than get discouraged and quit.
–Try Something New: Why not do something you have wanted to try? Make completing your resolution a positive experience! Try an exercise program (Zumba, Jazzercise), train for the 5k you’ve wanted to run, or try new recipes.
–Reward Yourself: After reaching your goal, reward yourself but not with food! Enjoy a night out with your friends, buy yourself something you want, or go on a weekend getaway. This will motivate you even more to reach your goal!
Whatever your New Years resolution is, you don’t have to be the 64% that quits after one month. By following these tips, you can reach your goal and add an accomplishment to 2015. On January 1st, I plan to begin my resolution. I plan on being more positive everyday and helping the people around me feel more positive. This can be by posting positive comments and quotes on Facebook and Instagram. I hope that everyone picks their own resolution to complete and that they find success in doing so. Let’s bring in 2015 with a new challenge!
By: Alexis Wolfgang
Guest Blogger, Graduate Student at Winthrop University and Volunteer at Lifexcel
