OK
friends, it's done and gone! If you were on a "diet" or had other
resolutions you were working on in January... you made it! The first
month of 2018 is over. How did you do?
Maybe you have already
achieved your stated goal (no alcohol for a month, for example) or maybe
you are still working on it (such as weight loss), but either way, the
long-term goal is to continue these new healthy habits in some form and
sustain that progress through the year.
I know many don't however.
You know how I know? The parking lot at the gym grows suspiciously
sparse all throughout February as people slowly lose motivation. Thanks
for the parking spot though! And my calendar starts to book up in March,
April, and May when well-intentioned resolutions don't work out and
people realize the summer months are closing in.
Don't waste all
that progress you made in January! Lifestyle change that produces
lifelong benefits doesn't just happen in a month. Sure, it helps reset
your mind frame and sets new patterns in motion, but the work has to
continue over the next months and even years. Here are a few tips to
renew that motivation and hopefully help you avoid starting all over
from square one again next January.
1. Asses and learn
Assess
what you learned over the last month, and jot down what you learned
from it. Likely you found out something about yourself that may be
useful in planning for the following months. Maybe it was taking on too
many changes at once. Maybe it was learning how to process new and
unexpected emotions that resulted from changes in diet, exercising or
thinking. Or maybe you saw that your lab markers really do respond
favorably from healthier habits. Whatever it is, jot it down so that you
remember this going into the next month.
2. Never beat yourself up
Do
not let perceived failure derail your efforts. So many people let a day
or two of backsliding take their entire set of goals off course. The
ol' mantra is "well, I already screwed up, so I might as well go all
out." Avoid this thinking! We all mess up, and that is unavoidable.
Learning how to deal with perceived failure and pick yourself back up
again is an incredible skill. It's not easy, but refocus yourself and
get right back up. Every day is a new day, thankfully, and a new chance
to start over. Every time you do so, you are that much closer to where
you want your mind, body and health to be.
3. Visualize
Every
once in awhile, take some time to visualize what you see yourself
doing, eating or being in January of next year. That time will come
quicker than you think, and obviously you don't want to end up in the
same place repeating the same goals once again. Put a motivating picture
up if that helps. Have a reminder set on your phone with encouraging
words. Remind yourself in regular intervals of where you intend to be
which should greatly increase your motivation to up in the daily work to
get there.
4. Exercise
This may already be
part of your goals, or lifestyle, so if it is, go ahead and ignore! But
if not, I include this here because moving your body incredibly
supports our mind. If our mind is functioning better, we are in the best
state to do what is right for your health. Over and over studies show
that exercise improves mood through the release of endorphins, reduces
feelings of anxiety and depression and increases energy. These are all
things we need to stay on track with new health goals. If our mind is in
the wrong place, we face an uphill battle. Now I realize incorporating
exercise can be a whole thing in an of itself, but think of it as a mind
activity instead and make it something enjoyable. It could be a brisk
walk, a Zumba class, or dancing in the living room with your kids. The
goal is just to move. Daily.
5. Journal
Writing
about your progress weekly can be incredibly helpful as you move
towards a new way of living. My most successful clients are typically
those that keep a running log of how they are doing week to week so they
can not only track progress but pinpoint areas that need some
fine-tuning. Often it's only when we see our week in writing that we can
objectively evaluate and make helpful changes that get us closer to our
goals. You don't need to write every day, but at least weekly is
useful. You might want to track things like daily food and beverage
choices, exercise, feelings/mood, digestive symptoms, etc. Whatever you
are trying to change, start tracking it so you can visibly see that
progress over time. It can be extremely motivating to keep the momentum
going, or it can provide a checkpoint to make changes if things just
aren't progressing as anticipated.
Hopefully, these quick tips
give you a few ideas to continue your New Year's resolutions into
February and far beyond. You have already put in a good 30 days of
work... don't stop now!
http://old.kam-pod.gov.ua/user/okimleal/
https://community.fema.gov/a0bt0000000djTQ
http://avaliacao.se.df.gov.br/online/user/profile.php?id=54980
https://www.utc.wa.gov/regulatedIndustries/utilities/water/Lists/WaterTraining/DispForm.aspx?ID=523
https://forums.huduser.gov/member.php?action=profile&uid=156612
https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/guidance/syndna/Lists/Screening%20Framework%20Guidance%20for%20Providers%20of%20Synt/DispForm.aspx?ID=429
http://www.kzncomsafety.gov.za/UserProfile/tabid/255/userId/140216/Default.aspx
http://www.kzndsr.gov.za/UserProfile/tabid/356/UserID/2371/Default.aspx
http://www.vec.go.th/UserProfile/tabid/57/UserId/26926/language/en-US/Default.aspx
http://www.sgrc.gov.tt/ActivityFeed/tabid/60/userId/1319938/Default.aspx
https://rul.asg.pr.gov/UserProfile/tabid/57/UserID/84342/language/en-US/Default.aspx
https://www.gov.bn/Lists/eDarussalam%20Survey/DispForm.aspx?ID=277
http://www2.lla.la.gov/Lists/LLA%20Survey/DispForm.aspx?ID=629
https://osse.sp.dc.gov/osse/EDM3/Public/Lists/EDMpubliclist/DispForm.aspx?ID=561
https://www.karnataka.gov.in/ksteps/Lists/Feedback/DispForm.aspx?ID=289
https://mainecare.maine.gov/Lists/Quarterly%20Dental%20Provider%20Survey/DispForm.aspx?ID=229
http://www.mindef.gov.bn/survey/Lists/PRU%20Survey/DispForm.aspx?ID=249
http://www.durban.gov.za/Lists/Feedback/DispForm.aspx?ID=3033
No comments:
Post a Comment