We all make New Year Resolutions, but how many of us stick to them? It's December 31st, and you're at a party or hanging out with family-- wait--- Covid-19 kind of ruined that for us! Let's start over-- It's December 31st, and you're all dressed up with a glass of champagne and 12 grapes that you will eat together with friends and family via zoom once the clock hits midnight. You feel nostalgic, anxious, and overwhelmed, but still, deep inside, there's a tiny light of hope shining through. You get a pen and paper and start jotting down those resolutions that you will swear to keep and stick through with. For the entire first week of January, you are on it! The second week, you'll miss a day or two, but you still do them. By the third week, you'll find an excuse to skip the week or reschedule, "I have to take care of the kids," "I have to study for an exam," "I don't have time" sounds familiar? If I told you there was a way to stick through with those resolutions, would you join me? I invite you to be my NY Resolution Partner. We will hold each other accountable every month through this blog. My goal is for us to turn our resolutions into a lifestyle by changing our habits.
But first, you mustn't set yourself up for failure. "I would never do that," you say, but in reality, we all do this without even realizing it. It starts right after you grabbed that pen and paper. You set those goals unrealistically high! "I will lose 50 pounds"," I will go to the gym daily," "I will only eat healthy foods." Despite all those goals being great, you have to do a self-assessment and gradually raise the bar when you got things under control and are ready to move on to the next phase. Good habits are so much harder to stick with; they're not fun and usually require some sacrifice. On the other hand, bad habits typically give us instant gratification, giving your brain a dopamine boost and leaving you restlessly seeking that same pleasurable feeling again. That's why bad habits are so hard to break.
We still have 2-weeks before the new year. Are you ready to make permanent changes to your daily life routine? Let's keep it simple and start by doing some pre-work. This exercise will take three days to complete. Grab a piece of paper and write down everything you eat and do. It can look something like this:
8 am - Woke up- Breakfast- Checked my email and social networks- Read the news
10 am- Yoga Class
12 pm- Lunch
1 - 7 pm- Work
8 pm- Dinner
9 pm- Watched TV
11 pm- Went to bed
This list will be more elaborate in the areas you know you want to change in the future. For example, if losing weight is one of your goals, you should write down everything you eat and drink throughout the day, being as specific as possible. From the number of water/coffee/tea glasses, portion size, what you have as a meal, and all the snacks in between. This list is not in any way for you to judge yourself. On the contrary, it's to educate yourself on what you need more or less of. Here's a Free printable food journal sheet to get you started. You should also jot down any activities you do, etc. It's also essential that you always know why you're doing something. Giving yourself a goal can remind you of the importance of keeping it.
This is the beginning of our journey to changing our habits for a better lifestyle. Please share this post with a friend or partner you think would benefit from this, and leave a comment below letting me know about your progress. I'm interested in hearing it all; the good and the bad.
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.
See you all in three days with a guide to week one and how to prep to welcome the New Year!
Sending you strength, determination, and ambition
-Nau
Free Printable Food Journal Sheet
Tap here to download
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