Did you make resolutions this year? Maybe you didn't, because you didn't keep them in the past. That's pretty common. Why? Because we tend to set ourselves up for failure. We vow to lose 50 pounds by summer, go to the gym 5 days a week or eat healthy or any number of things. So we throw out our junk food, buy a gym membership, and jump in with both feet. And in a week or 2, maybe 3, we stop. We feel like we failed, we engage in all sorts of negative self-talk, and that is until next year. I have found myself in that situation many times. But there is a way to change this pattern with baby steps. STOP SETTING SUCH HIGH GOALS!
This doesn't mean you shouldn't aim high. It means starting slowly. And make sure you like what you are doing. If you want to exercise, don't get a gym membership if you hate the gym. Don't switch to a vegan diet if you love meat. Set a resolution that you have a chance to accomplish because you like it and it's doable. Eat meat if you like it, but add more veggies to your diet, learn yoga, go for a walk, or dance in your kitchen if that's what you enjoy. Manage stress with self-care, in any form that you like.
Next, set up a schedule that will not overwhelm you. If you feel overwhelmed, you'll feel stressed, defeated, and likely quit. Instead, baby steps. think small. If you aren't used to exercising, resolve to exercise 1 time a week, or stretch for 10 in the morning. I once set an alarm every hour while I was awake. When it went off I stopped what I was doing, if possible, and stretched for one minute. It was amazing how quickly I started seeing results. If you want to eat healthier, add more veggies and fruit to your diet by replacing a high-calorie or high-carb food with a healthier alternative one meal a week or eat one vegetarian meal a week.
Once these small changes become a habit, you can add another small change, and continue from there. It's a manageable system that won't overwhelm you and just might be the easiest way to keep that resolution!