Don’t wait for a new year to be who you want to be

I admit I like the thought of a new year and a fresh start. A reset of sorts. New year, new you, right? But what I don’t like? The pressure to reach nearly unattainable goals and unreasonable expectations. I’ve seen person after person set themselves up for ‘failure.’ I’ve been a gym rat at different times in my life and always dreaded the month of January. The gyms become overcrowded January 1^st, but by the end of the month? Everyone has cleared out. Sure, there are people who stick to their resolutions, but it’s not easy.

We are all works in progress. There are always areas I’d like to improve, things to do better, goals I want to achieve. And I truly believe you certainly don’t have to wait to the start of a new year to become who you want to be. So for me, I never set resolutions at the start of the year. Instead, I work on reaching goals day to day throughout the year.

If you haven’t picked up on it from this blog or my social media account yet, I’m quite health conscious. I have to eat well and be active in order to feel good. I’ve made lifestyle changes over the years that I’ve been able to adhere to. How? I follow these principles, which would be helpful to try when making resolutions:

• Start small. Make one change at a time. Start cooking with non-dairy butter, for example. If you try to change too much at once, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You simply won’t be able to maintain it all.
• Be specific. If you make a general resolution, you’re not going to be able to achieve it or stay motivated. Saying, “I want to lose weight” is not feasible. How much weight, by when, and how are you going to do it? Set specific, measurable goals for yourself.
• Make changes gradually. And know they will take time.
• Allow room for setbacks. They’re bound to happen. Over the holidays I ate too much junk and I certainly felt it. And just yesterday I felt worse during and after a workout than I did before, and got really frustrated until I reminded myself every day will be different.
• Avoid the scale for the most part. Go by how you feel, not a number.
• Get support when needed. My husband is the one who puts everything in perspective for me often.
• Reward yourself. Are you seeing progress? Get a new outfit you feel confident in. This can help keep you motivated to reach your next goal.
• One moment doesn’t erase all of your progress. I know I won’t always find healthy food options while out. It is what it is and you can’t beat yourself up for it.
• Do what you can, when you can. I know I won’t find time to work out every day. But I can certainly build movement into each day. Squats while cooking or holding the baby. Leg lifts while waiting for the dog outside. Ab work while the baby plays on his mat. ANYTHING! It adds up. Trust me.

All this being said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on resolutions. Do you make them? Do you despise them? Do you take my approach to setting goals throughout the year instead?