Let's face it, all of us have tried making a resolution to live healthier, lose weight, and generally make better decisions about our health. And we've all failed at one point. So, instead of making a new year's resolution, why not try this instead?
Setting lofty goals is a disaster waiting to happen
A lot of people try and set big goals as their new year's resolution, such as working out everyday, eating only vegetables, cutting back on sweets, and some use it to quit their bad habits such as smoking or drinking.
However, setting lofty goals such as these is a disaster waiting to happen, since most people aren't able to keep up the lifestyle change that they have set for themselves, and then they simply give up after.
In other cases, they tend to give up too easily; when faced with a small failure in their resolution, a lot of people tend to get disheartened and just give it up.
It's also true that a lot of people are energetic and enthusiastic when starting their lifestyle change, but they can't maintain that positivity and mindset, leading to quitting later on. All these happen to a lot of people who set lofty or even almost impossible goals for themselves. So what can you do instead?
It's all about small, incremental changes
The key here is to start small. Small, incremental changes are much easier to do, and have a greater chance of making a permanent lifestyle change. An example would be instead of eating only vegan food to lose weight, you can start by cutting back on red meat.
Another thing to keep in mind would be flexibility. If you're planning a lifestyle change, you should of course stick to it, but you should also be flexible in some cases. For example, when it comes to exercising, you don't have to start the intense exercises just yet. You can start by running a short distance daily to make it a part of your routine. That way it becomes a more permanent lifestyle change.
You also have to be realistic when it comes to your goals. No one can have those sexy abs in 3 months, so don't try and waste your time exercising super hard everyday just to get those abs. Being healthier takes time, and a good way to think about it would be as an investment that you're making for a healthier future.
Source: huffingtonpost.com
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