~ I can do anything I set my mind to ~ and so I am successful in all my aspirations ~
There’s this switch in your mind that after each year when January rolls around, that you reset your thinking. The new year fuels that desire to be better, do better than the previous year. It can be about your physical fitness, or your social life or even thinking about any bad habits you think you can live without.
It’s difficult staying consistent. But that new year is like your second chance, your blank state. But it isn’t easy staying motivated or consistent because of all the hustle & bustle of your busy schedule.
Perhaps you have young kids, a full time job and also a household to look after. You have chaotic mornings, afternoon homework crazies, bedtime chaos, dinnertime madness and then you have a house to clean up and then you may only have a short hour or two to take time for yourself and your hubby? That is a lot to handle daily and then you have to think of exercises and healthy living.
~ I will be consistent, I will be positive about my health and fitness journey until only I feel happy with the results ~
- Consistency is what’s important
When you form important habits, habits that are healthy, this helps you to stay consistent. Doing something everyday, even if it’s difficult. You learn, you refocus and try again. All you need is practice. You shouldn’t strive to be the best and amazing so early in the game.
- What is your goal?
It’s rather simple to eat healthy food and go work out, but if you don’t have a goal or a plan of action, it’s hard to maintain. It’s that feeling of standing in the health foods isle, no research done but you feel you need that health over that easy to cook meal, you’ll feel helpless unless you have a plan of action and a goal with a reasonable timeline.
- Give yourself a break
If you’ve got a goal in mind for the new year, something achievable that you can work towards without feeling like it’s this unclimbable mountain. Give yourself a break, take the pressure off, not for long but it’s going to be okay if you need to take a day and refocus and reset. It’s not healthy to form an obsessive need to become the best in a short period of time.
- Break the cycle
It’s going to sound crazy, but we all know that everyone who wants to begin their fitness or healthy eating journey would say… ‘Monday, I’ll start Monday’ Instead of Monday, why not Sunday, or a Wednesday. Break that certain start day week cycle and throw a spanner in the planning. This will create another habit as you begin and it will actually be easier to stick to over weekends. Your brain knows that if you begin Monday, then it’s like you crave junk food or lazing around the house over the weekend. But if you begin on a random day, you’ll be able to adjust to it easier and stick to it
- It’s not the destination but the journey
Assuming, thinking you’ll get to your health goals quickly is a lie. A lie people tell themselves in hopes to get the hard part over. The part of doing the work. The way you get there is what you need to focus on. Getting there at a good, healthy pace is how you’ll be able to form new patterns and habits and it’s a lot easier to stick to.
- Celebrate the little things
List goals for yourself. Even if it’s about eating less sugar, more greens, less meat or it’s something to do with working out. Once one of those goals has been accomplished, tick it off, celebrate and keep going. Even if you are busy with the kids and dinner. There are little gaps in time that you need to just focus and do it. And get it over with, and keep doing that the next day and the next.
- 30 day challenges
People laugh when these challenges pop up, especially just before the sunny season. But it’s actually an excellent way to form new, positive habits. Even if it’s doing daily squats, but even reading certain pages of a book, or finding a new breakfast spot for the family. Each day is something that you do to form these new habits and they say that 30 days is enough time