"If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough" - well, that's the saying, but it's not one I agree with, especially when it comes to the New Year and overzealous goal setting. Most of us jump on the eat-better, work-out-more band wagon, only to jump into too much too fast. Changing both your eating and exercise habits at once is a lot to ask of yourself. And, because the changes you are looking to make should last a lifetime, it's easy to see why people get overwhelmed.
Sure, you start of feeling great. You're detoxing from the holiday indulgences, eating your kale and quinoa salads and sweating through your new exercise routine. But eventually (typically around March) when the newness wears off and your motivation is lacking, you slowly slip back into old habits and before you know it, you're right back where you started, vowing to make new and improved promises for the following year to come.
When you jump into a promise of a better self via food choices and work out regiments, the most overwhelming component is the fact that there is no finish line; no end point, no date to work towards, no gold stars or blue ribbons. The fact that these choices should reflect an entirely new lifestyle instead of a temporary goal can make the thought of keeping it up forever unfathomable. And for that, I challenge you to take it slow, by dedicating one month for one new goal throughout the year.
By goal-setting every month, you create your own finish line. You have 4 weeks to incorporate (or eliminate) something in your life that you wish to make a habit; a routine part of your life for a better you. And, because it takes 21 days to create a new habit, this one month challenge is perfect for trying things out. At the end of each month, you get to congratulate yourself on an accomplishment that was simply set to challenge and empower you. You might surprise yourself how easy it was to get to the gym 3x a week, or to give up dairy products for the month. And, as you move into another month and another goal, you can decide what to do with last month's accomplishment; was it something you enjoyed and plan to keep up? Or will that time and energy be replaced with the upcoming month's challenge?
Have fun with it! You can make it whatever you'd like. Maybe you decide to try a new fitness class once a week for a month. Maybe you set aside a daily time to simply stretch and breathe. Maybe you give up sugar, caffeine, alcohol, or a food group entirely. Maybe your goals are to play more board games with your kids, and you set aside a weekly game night for a month. Maybe you need to incorporate more self care and you treat yourself to a weekly massage (hayo!). Maybe it's walking the dogs, or de-cluttering drawers, or doing more abdominal exercises...whatever it is, you get to set the goal and you WILL have a countdown to finish. Maybe once that month is up, you realized how easy it was to incorporate something new into your daily or weekly routine and you keep it up, or maybe you absolutely hated those fitness classes or lack of caffeine and you simply move onto the next challenge. Either way, you'll have something new to do each month, and by following through, you will create the time and space for this new habit (or discover new foods by eliminating others!) and be continually motivated by the constant change. You'll discover new things about your own discipline, time management, and capabilities, and give yourself all the power as you move through 2019 creating a continually new you.
Share your challenges, I'd love to hear them!
I started mine in November, and so far have done:
- No-nuts-November
- No-dairy-December
- Dry January (no alcohol)
And next month I plan to to Flexible February where I focus on taking care of my body through daily yoga and stretching. The finish line is always great to reach, but having a new goal to pick right up and keep on moving towards that next one is what will create success.
No comments:
Post a Comment