Stay the Course!!

Statistics say that by late March, most people have lost motivation and discipline to keep their “New Year’s Resolution”. So, since its early March, is it safe to assume most of you are still on track? Or are you like me, and have restarted it a few times?

Take a trip on memory lane

Take yourself back to January 1st. Try to remember your mindset, your resolution, and more importantly, try to remember the reason you wanted to accomplish these goals. You had big plans for yourself, you imagined what things would be like when you were successful. When you were successful, not if. You need to hold that feeling, or at least revisit it once in a while.

Now I want you to think of what you were hoping to change with these goals. Was it just weight loss, or was it also better sleep? Was it healthy eating all the time, or more often than not? If the goals you set were too unrealistic, take a better look at them. Maybe change your expectations. There aren’t rules, you can shift gears.

When’s the last time you checked in with yourself? Do that now. What has changed for you, it can be small. Maybe your clothes fit a bit better, maybe you are sleeping better, maybe you’ve saved money by not eating out. Take pride and celebrate the small accomplishments. Don’t focus on the shortcomings.

Prepare for mishaps. No matter how put together some people may appear, no one is perfect all the time! You may and will stumble. It’s one day. It doesn’t define the week. Maybe you’ve chosen to take a day to indulge, good for you. Don’t beat yourself up, tomorrow is a great day to get back on track.

This may be a good time to focus on tracking your progress, and your fall backs. You might sense a pattern. Are you more focused and disciplined on the days after you sleep well? Do you give in to temptations on frustrating days? Do you make better choices on Monday and come Friday, things fall apart? If you can anticipate your habit, you may be able to get ahead of them.

And, if you really feel like you’re having trouble staying in line, this may be a good time to phone a friend. Having someone you trust, be your accountability buddy can make a big difference. Someone you can check in with, send a picture of yourself in the gym, share your food journal with, share your activity tracker with. Having a support person is a clear contributor to success.

You are in the majority if you are trying to stay committed to a resolution. You are also in the majority if you are struggling to do so. Bring in your social network, start keeping track, and find your accomplishments! In a world that wants instant gratification, these goals have more life when we take our time to achieve them. So, breathe, you got this!!!

Warmly,

Sheri