I’m proud to say I’ve been on track with my new years resolution to go back to the gym three times a week. Don’t get me wrong – there have been many years where I’ve made a resolution and completely forgotten about it by mid-January. But I’ve been working on self-compassion, and I’m getting better at knowing what a realistic goal looks like for me, as well as what helps me stick with healthy habits.
In this post, I’m going to go through my four tips to get back on track with new years resolutions, or any goal you’ve set for yourself.
1. Do something today
This is common advice for a reason. If you want to get back on track, do something today. Or right now!
Was your resolution to eat more vegetables? Go eat a veggie tout suite. Was your goal to start strength training? Try the home strength circuit I wrote about here. Were you hoping to read more? Set aside 10 minutes right now and get it done.
Momentum builds from actions. As does motivation.
2. Make your goal easier
If you’ve been having a hard time sticking with your new years resolution, chances are it was too difficult to incorporate into your current life. That’s ok! Think about what’s making it challenging, and then re-jig your resolution to be able to accomplish it.
For instance, if you made your goal to workout four times a week, and it just hasn’t happened, then restart with twice a week. Working out twice a week is much better than not working out at all. Eating one vegetable a day is better than no vegetables a day. Smoking 6 cigarettes is better than smoking 12. You get the idea.
Make your resolution 50% easier than it was originally, and go from there. You can always beef your goal back up when you feel confident that you’re back on track.
3. Choose one change at a time
In the same vein, I frequently see people try to change many health behaviours at the same time. While this works for some people (see below), it often backfires.
I found myself trying to do this when I originally made my new years resolution to go back to the gym. I knew three times a week was doable, so that was decided. But then I thought I should also be trying to eat better, sleep more, learn more, write more, socialize more, read more… the list went on and on.
There will always be room for improvement in our lives. That’s part of the fun of it. But we know that behaviour change, especially when it comes to our health, is difficult. Make it easier by focusing on one change at a time. Once that change becomes habit, try adding another one.
4. Make it harder
Ok, this is in direct opposition to the point I made above. Hear me out.
For some people, the way for them to stay motivated is to feel like they’ve accomplished something really difficult.
I’m not one of these people.
But I’ve encountered patients, friends, and colleagues who’ve made an entire lifestyle overhaul, and said that they stuck with it because they enjoyed the challenge.
If you’re this person, try making your resolution more challenging. You’ll know you’re on the right track if you make your resolution much harder, and it helps you stick with it.
5. Reward yourself
I have two dogs. They’re awesome. And they’re motivated by very different things.
My old grumpy dog Jax is highly obedient and motivated by food. Even though he’s 11, he’ll learn an entirely new trick for the chance at one or two treats.
My big goofy dog Kai is barely motivated by food. Instead, he loves affection and attention. He’s actually much harder to train, because he gets his attention and then is no longer motivated for the time being.
I’ve had to learn what motivates me to do new things.
I’ve tried many different types of ways to reward myself over the years, from treating myself to a new book, to trying monetary rewards, to carving out time to relax.
I’ve found that my reward is checking off a box on a to-do list. So, I use an app to track my workouts, and I love hitting that little “finish workout” button. So much dopamine. It might sound odd, but this is what works for me to stay motivated. What works for you?
I hope this helps! Let me know what other strategies you have to stay on track with your new years resolutions.
Stay well friends,
-Dr. K
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