New Year, New You?

Do you set New Year Resolutions that only last until the second week of January? While you don’t have to wait until January to make changes, let’s be honest, it’s right around the corner so now is good time! If you’re tired of setting goals or resolutions that dissolve before Groundhog day, here are some ideas and tips help them stick.

First of all, pick something that’s a touch audacious and crazy, but not entirely impossible. Whether your goal is big or small, make sure you break it down into digestible pieces that you know you can accomplish. You might consider doing a 5-10 minute brain dump of all the things you think about a specific goal. You might need 5 minutes first just to brainstorm about what your goal will be, but once you have it in mind, break it down into its components to help carve out attainable milestones. For example, let’s say your goal is to clean up your eating habits. Set a timer for 5 minutes and list all the things you can do around that, such as: eat 1 serving of vegetables with every meal, have a veggie/fruit smoothie at least 2x a week, cookies only on the weekends (because cutting them out entirely just doesn’t seem right ;) ). You get the idea…

I think that new year is an awesome time to start new things. Along with a fresh planner, it feels like I have a clean slate. For me, 2016 will include cleaning up my diet (again) and following the Whole30 guidelines. The last time I did this, it was a total overhaul of my eating habits, but this time won’t be so bad as I’ve mostly been following the guidelines. Radically changing your diet may be a crazy goal for some people, but the Whole30 is really only a 30-day commitment to do something good for yourself. (Think of your other commitments and how long they are!) I ended up mostly sticking to the plan for the rest of the year because I found that I feel so much better when I fuel myself with whole foods. I did go holiday crazy, however, so I’m looking forward to getting back on the metaphorical wagon.

Radical shifts aren’t something to avoid because they really can change your life. Don’t rule one out because you’re afraid of failing, because its never really a fail. If you make any changes for the positive, a step in the right direction is totally a win in my book.

Looking for ideas for 2016? Let’s say you want to start working out or move more each day. Why waste money and go buy a gym membership when you can start walking. Seriously, try walking 25 minutes a day. If you don’t have a 25 minute time block, break it up smaller pieces. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there – just accumulate 25 minutes of walking time a day. It really can simple as that. Maybe you try cutting out furniture time and sitting on the floor more to improve your hip health and range of motion. Maybe you limit screen time and technology to help save your brain from turning to mush and spending time with those around you. The changes you make in the coming year can truly be small but in the grand scheme of things, those could the radical shifts you needed along!

So, in this last day of 2015, make sure you reflect on all the awesome things that 2015 brought you, but look forward to the future and see if there are any goals you want to make happen!

PS it helps to stay accountable by announcing your plan to the world, which is why I always tell you about my Whole30 adventures ;)