What is it about a clean slate that we all love so much?
January 1st. Mondays. Clean kitchens. They all bring us hope, new possibilities, and a fresh start!
A New Year’s resolution is a way to erase any disappointment from the previous year and wipe our slates clean. After all, who doesn’t like second chances?
The Most Common New Year’s Resolutions
A poll for 2018 found that the most common New Year’s resolution among women last year was to “save more money.” Additionally, about 41 percent of women reported their New Year’s resolution was to either “eat healthier” or “get more exercise” (1). Not too surprising, right?
But, interestingly, over 29 percent of women reported “improving self-care” (like sleeping or stress management) as their New Year’s resolution!
While we all go into the new year with a boost of motivation and drive for change, many of us unfortunately fall short of meeting our resolutions. In fact, only about 8 percent of people stick to their resolutions when the next year arrives!
It’s not due to a lack of willpower. It’s not due to lack of caring. It boils down to setting the right goal, making a plan, and finding what works for you!
These Tips Can Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution:
Write It Down…Over and Over
Writing down your goals increases your chance of success by over 30 percent (2). You’ve probably heard it before. But we’re here to share a secret twist: write down your top New Year resolution every 👏🏼single 👏🏼 day👏🏼.
Seem like overkill? Perhaps at first. But, writing down your New Year’s resolution on a daily basis gives you the constant reminder and check-in required to achieve long-term success.
We recommend using something like the Push Planner to keep you on track every day with your overall dream and New Year’s resolution for 2019. This allows you to break up your goal into smaller and more attainable milestones throughout the year.
But, if you want to start old school with the good ole’ sticky note, that’s okay, too! Just make sure it’s visible on a daily basis. Imagine the feeling of success and pride in seeing your goal written down 365 times come 2020!
Find Your Person
Just like Meredith has Christina Yang, you also need to find your person (any Grey’s Anatomy fans in the house?). Sharing your New Year’s resolution ideas with someone else increases the likelihood of sticking to it for longer. But, it can’t be any old Joe Schmo from the streets. Your person should be a positive influence. Ideally, they would be working towards a similar goal. Be close enough with this person that they can dish out some tough love. Additionally, regular check-ins about your New Year’s resolution is key.
If your person supports you AND agrees to “dance it out” when needed, you’ve hit the jackpot 😉.
What if I can’t find a person?
Girl, we got you. One of the main reasons the 131 Method is so successful, is that we provide added layers of support and accountability. From our 131 Ambassadors, to our shared message boards, to professional support from registered dietitians, we have you covered from every angle! Failure isn’t an option with this method!
Manifest Your Heart Out
Have you heard of manifesting? Put simply, it means intentionally designing the life you want. Before you discount it as the millennial version of daydreaming, there’s actually some legitimate science to back up this practice!
Thanks to a concept known as neuroplasticity, you can train your mind to think differently. This change literally rewires neuron connections in your brain and can promote positive behavior (3). This works great when trying to modify your behavior (and mindset) for a New Year’s resolution!
Here’s the kicker: do not get stuck manifesting what you DON’T want. This will lead you down a path of self-pity. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that! Focus on positive thoughts and emotions. As you look at your written goal each day, spend 5 minutes manifesting. These tips may help you get started:
- Close your eyes and dedicate 5 minutes to yourself.
- Think of one dream, desire, or goal. Choose something that feels exciting to you.
- Picture your dreams as if they are happening now. It’s similar to daydreaming but intentional and laser focused! Be specific. What is your life like when you insert yourself into your dream? What does it feel like? Is anyone with you?
- Imagine sharing your success and dream with other people. What does it feel like to tell people about your success?
- Finish with a huge smile. We know it may feel weird, but trust us! Even if you have to fake it ’til you make it, finish with one big, toothy grin.
Bada bing, bada boom. You just manifested the sh*t outta that goal! 😉
Consider The Root Cause
Meet Sally. Sally wants to lose weight to feel better both emotionally and physically. She struggles with bloating and heartburn. So, she sets a top New Year resolution to exercise at the gym at least three times per week. Sounds pretty good, right?
Well, Sally has a really stressful job. She also has three active kids involved in lots of extra-curricular activities. Many nights of the week, Sally finds herself stress-eating large amounts of sweets and processed foods before bed. She also struggles with insomnia and is lucky to get five hours of good sleep per night.
Knowing this, do you think Sally’s main problem is that she doesn’t exercise enough?
Probably not! Although exercise can definitely help, the root cause of Sally’s health issues may be more related to poor stress management, excessive cortisol (stress hormones), and not enough self-care. Adding one more thing to her to-do list may not be the best New Year’s resolution idea.
When considering a good New Year’s resolution, ask yourself this question: Does my resolution address what I suspect is the root cause of my health issues?
If you’re trying to find relief from a health concern, identifying the root cause is step one. Then, setting a New Year’s resolution or goal to address the root cause is step two!
P.S. Sometimes there is more than one cause!
Share Your Success
You cannot build upon your success if you do not acknowledge it. Put another way: you need to give yourself a public pat on the back every once in a while!
As humans, we are so keen to focus on the negative aspects of our efforts. I ate too much last week. I missed a workout. I drank too much wine. We ALL feel the struggles, which is why it’s even more important to celebrate the small wins!
Sharing your successes with your friends, family, and supporters can help you stick with your New Year’s resolution. As a society, we thrive on positive reinforcement! So, find a tribe that will celebrate your wins with you. Plus, sharing can help to motivate others, too!
Join our support tribe! Let’s lift each other up in our resolutions throughout the year. Snap a picture of your written goal, your home-cooked dinner, a sweaty selfie, or whatever it is that pushes you to move further with your New Year’s resolution!
Tag us and use the hashtag #131resolutions so we can support you, and share, to support others!
Get One Percent Better Each Day
No matter what, keep moving forward. Yes, you’ll have setbacks. You’ll feel frustrated and defeated at times. But, don’t let the failures of today affect your success for tomorrow! Think of it this way: if you forgot to brush your teeth one night, would you stop brushing your teeth forever? No! (At least we hope not!) You would simply brush your teeth again the next morning! Progress is progress, no matter how small. So let go of the shame and guilt of past failures, and focus on simply feeling fantastic and achieving your best health yet.
Let’s do this together! Start changing your life inside the 131 Method today.
References:
- http://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/366cvmcg44/New%20Year%20Survey,%20December%208%2011,%202017.pdf
- https://www.dominican.edu/dominicannews/dominican-research-cited-in-forbes-article
- https://academic.oup.com/scan/article/8/1/34/1696981
