This time of year, people all over the world are thinking about their hopes for the new year. Is that you? And if so, have you started setting real, achievable goals for yourself? Whether it’s buying a house for the first time, quitting smoking, running a marathon (or just running a mile), or growing closer to a friend or family member, according to current research, setting goals can make all the difference in making your dreams a reality.
There is nothing magical about January 1, but for some reason, for many, the New Year is a great opportunity to get a fresh start in working towards those dreams. But what is the best way to make those resolutions stick and to actually achieve your goals in 2014?
We know you’re busy, so we did a little research and found 5 simple tips to increase the likelihood that you will keep your New Year’s resolution.
Tip 1: Develop an action plan.
This is the most simple of the tips, but also the most important, which is why it comes in at number one. Too often, we set lofty goals with the best of intentions, but these goals do not bridge the gap between where we are today, and where we will be when we reach our goals. This is the “how” of the goal that most of us ignore, and for good reason. Finding the answer to how to reach our goals forces us to think about real, actionable, steps that we need to take to make it possible. It forces us to face the reality that the journey to success is not always easy, which can be discouraging.
To counter the fear of what lies ahead, an action plan is critical. Think about the small victories that will get you to where you want to be, step by step. Then, knock off each of these accomplishments one at a time. By eliminating the wide gap of uncertainty between ourselves and our goals for the future, an action plan provides a framework from which we can act out our intentions, in whatever form they may take.
Tip 2: Don’t sweat the small stuff, especially if your resolution involves weight loss.
Just as one bad meal won’t make you fat, one good meal won’t make you skinny. The reality of any resolution is that it won’t always go the way you would like it to go. There will be bumps in the road, and that’s not just OK, it’s normal. Successful people understand that they will falter from time to time, but that there is always an opportunity to get back on track. If you think of your life as one big possibility, then each decision you make is a chance to become exactly who you would like to be.
If your goal is to lose weight, and you find that you have overeaten at a given meal, or even throughout the day, you have a choice to make. What possibility will you make a reality? Will you beat yourself up, and possibly even wind up fueling further poor nutritional choices? Or will you acknowledge your failure without shame, and reaffirm your commitment to making better choices in the future? If you pick the latter, you will be one your way to your weight loss goal in no time at all.
Tip 3: Be realistic.
While lofty goals can be a great motivator for change, they also become discouraging if we do not see the progress we expect. If you are not a mountain climber today, it may be a bit of a stretch to resolve to climb Mt. Everest before this time next year. Likewise, if you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s best to be realistic about the time-frame you set out to lose it in.
You might be surprised to know that a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week is considered healthy, and that for most people, weight loss beyond this level may be simply water weight. Even worse, rapid weight loss results often come in the form of lean mass reduction, instead of what you really want to target, fat. At a rate of 1-2 pounds lost per week, it is realistic to expect that a person who wished to lose 50 pounds would require five months, or more, to do so safely. Lastly, before starting any weight loss regimen, visit your doctor and ask him or her about different weight loss methods, and any concerns you should take into account before beginning.
Tip 4: Make your resolution known.
This one is really simple, and extremely effective. Share your resolution with family members, friends, and coworkers. In doing so, a few things will occur. First, you may find that there are others who have set the same, or similar, goals. These people can help to hold you accountable, and become the motivation that you need to succeed at whatever you’ve set out to achieve.
Secondly, when we share our intent with the world, we can no longer tuck it away in the deep recesses of our brains. Once it’s out, we are much more likely to act out the steps necessary to be successful. An added benefit to this is you just might inspire others by your actions. Having a support network that not only encourages you to stick it out to the end, but also relies upon you for the very same support can be extremely motivating and inspiring.
Tip 5: Make resolutions that fit into your lifestyle.
This tip is often easier said than done, but with a little bit of effort and creativity, nearly any goal can be accomplished if you give yourself enough time. But that’s just it, we don’t all have an abundance of extra time on our hands. In fact, many of us are busy from the moment we wake up in the morning, until the moment we rest our head on our pillows at night.
If this sounds like you, there are solutions out there that you may not have even known existed. For instance, if your New Year’s resolution is to lose a specific amount of weight, and you’ve followed the advice in tip one of creating an action plan, you might be worried that there isn’t enough time in the day to perform each of the necessary steps to prepare the healthy meals that you have included as part of your plan.
Maybe it’s the shopping that you don’t have time for, or maybe you just don't like cooking and know that it will take you hours to prepare the meals you have selected. Whatever the case, there is a solution – Personal Chef To Go. Our refreshing approach to a healthier lifestyle provides not only weight loss but also promotes healthier eating by motivating you with healthy and delicious meals prepared with fresh ingredients, fresh never frozen, right to your door.
Personal Chef To Go customers rest easy knowing that their meals were developed by chefs just as committed to a healthy lifestyle as they are. You simply place their order online, and select the meal plans they wish to receive each week. and with our Autoship option it doesn’t get any easier than that. When it’s time to eat, each meal requires just a few minutes in the microwave and they’re ready to enjoy!
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