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Dec 01
2017

14 Tips For Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution

What tips for keeping your New Year’s resolution have worked for you? We all know the popular routine — make a resolution, break a resolution. We are here to help you set and keep your New Year’s resolutions for 2018.

The main secret to keeping your New Year’s resolution is to set a resolution that you really want to achieve, rather than one you feel pressured to make. It also helps to realize that keeping your New Year’s resolution is a process — one that is managed over the long term. If you set a resolution because you feel like you should, then that will be difficult to keep the motivation going throughout the year to do what it takes to keep it.

Also, the realization that managing your resolution is a process will go a long way in helping you to stick to it. Powering through and jump starting your new discipline can lead to burnout. In the case of fitness goals it can also lead to possible injury. Both burnout and injury will likely cause you to break your resolution early.

Here are 14 tips for keeping your New Year’s resolution:

BE REALISTIC

Lofty goals may be inspiring, but if they are unreachable, in the end will be discouraging.

CREATE A PLAN

Implementing a plan of action and breaking down your resolution or goal into smaller steps helps you to more easily tackle your progress along the way. Why? Smaller accomplishments can boost your confidence and boosted confidence may be exactly what you need to stay motivated and to keep going.

[Related article: Healthy Living Tips For Your Busy Life]

BE SPECIFIC, NOT VAGUE.

Setting a resolution to workout more, for example, is more vague compared to the resolution of working out 5 days a week. The former is hard to measure, while with the latter, you can more easily monitor your progress along the way.

BE HONEST AND TRUE TO YOURSELF

Be true to yourself in making your resolution, not picking something you think others want for you. If your motivation is because you think you should or because you think others expect it of you, that is not a motivating source to work from. Being true to yourself when selecting your New Year’s resolution or resolutions will keep you motivated and inspired along the way.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Keep your resolutions simple — pick 1 or 2 to stick to instead of overwhelming yourself with many.

JOURNAL YOUR PROGRESS

Keeping track of your progress will help you see where you came from and where you are going. Journaling your experience along the way gives you a reference point to go back to at any given time. When you start to feel discouraged — as can happen with any goal or resolution we make for ourselves — look back in your journal to see your record of your starting days to see actually how far you’ve come. This helps you to stay motivated and to keep making progress.

[Related article: 5 Motivational Quotes For Your Fitness Vision Board]

OPERATE WITH THE LONG TERM IN MIND

Keep the long term in mind and keep progress manageable for yourself along the way. Breaking down your resolution or goal into manageable pieces will help you see the progress you are making along the way. This serves to keep you inspired.

BE ACCOUNTABLE

Find an accountability partner, but realize the change is up to you. An accountability partner is someone who you can check-in with on your progress and can offer encouragement to you along the way. Just realize though that it is your responsibility to make the progress. Your accountability partner is only meant as a means of support — not someone who will do the work for you. An accountability partner will help you in keeping your New Year’s resolution.

FIND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Determine what additional resources you will need for support or growth and get them. Is there something you need to learn in order to take the next steps toward your goal or resolution? Whether it is a class, book or something else, seek out the resources that you need to help you make progress.

LEARN TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES

Find coping strategies to help you overcome obstacles along the way. No doubt you will encounter obstacles on your path to achieving your New Year’s resolution. The most successful among us find ways to overcome these obstacles along the way.

Recognize them for what they are — hurdles to your success that are only temporarily in the way. Coping strategies could include taking a long walk, a conversation with a supportive friend or a realignment of your expectations.

RECOGNIZE IT’S A PROCESS

Realize that keeping your resolution is a process, completed over time. Just as your unhealthy habits didn’t form overnight, your new healthy habits won’t become second nature overnight either. Managing your resolution over time requires a commitment to the process, to keep making progress towards your resolution.

SHARE YOUR RESOLUTION WITH OTHERS

Share and talk about your goals or resolution. Sharing your New Year’s resolution with others is a big step towards keeping it. Talking about your resolution to others makes you more accountable and more likely to keep working towards your goals. Sharing it out loud makes it more real, both to yourself and to others.

KEEP GOING

If you set a resolution that is true to who you are, something you want to do and have found the motivation along the way to keep going, don’t give up! As we all know, New Year’s resolutions are always set with the best of intentions and yet most are broken. Don’t let yours be one of them!

KNOW WHEN YOU’VE ACHIEVED IT

Determine how you will know when you’ve met your goal or kept your resolution. Set a measurable outcome for yourself. A reward at different points along the way might not hurt either!

Among the most common resolutions? Get in shape, stay fit and healthy and lose weight. Our expert team of physical therapists can help show you safe and productive exercises and strengthening workouts based on your level of current physical activity and fitness. If an injury or illness has set you back from your goals or achieving your New Year’s resolutions, we can help you start a safe program to get you back on track and help you work towards keeping your New Year’s resolutions.

Contact us today.