Top Tips for Making Your New Year Health Resolutions a Success

Different people seek different things in life. Some want fame, others riches. However, the truth is that nothing can be really enjoyed without good health. This is the reason why a large number of new year resolutions are about trying to live a healthy year.

People usually set their new year resolutions around healthy habits with full zest and determination. Unfortunately, 80% of these don’t even make past the second month of February.  But why?

The following are some of the main reasons:

Unrealistic Goals

Instilling healthy habits takes time. So, when people set unrealistic goals for the new year, they end up becoming frustrated and disappointed finding themselves unable to meet their targets.

For instance, if someone who likes to drink more than a few cans of a particular energy every day makes one of their 2018 health resolutions to go cold turkey and quit it entirely from day 1, then it’s unlikely it’ll work. This is because, just like it takes time to develop a bad habit, breaking it takes some time too.

Nondefinitive or Unclear Resolutions

A new year resolution about losing weight, quitting smoking or drinking, etc. won’t work unless it’s concrete and well-defined.

Vague or unclear resolutions don’t get the results because there is no way to track the progress with these. There is no timeline, no numbers to monitor. Since “losing weight” could mean anything from losing 10 pounds to 1 pound, in 10 months or 1 month, there is no fixed target to achieve, and hence no results.

Lack of Commitment

Determination and commitment are extremely important to make the new year a healthy year. Unfortunately, a lot of people make resolutions only half-heartedly and eventually fail.

How to Create a New Year Resolution that Works?

The following are the main ingredients of a viable new year resolution:

It’s Clear and Well-Defined

A good new year resolution has a clear goal and timeline. An excellent example of this is the target of losing 4 kg of weight per month for 6 months. This is because it’s quite reasonable and attainable.

It’s usually best to create a roadmap that has long-term and short-term goals with set deadlines and targets that can be measured.

It Rewards for Success

Positive reinforcements through rewards can do wonders for a new year resolution. So, one may place a reward for every short-term goal, and on every achievement, they can treat themselves for their effort and commitment.

Knowing that there is a reward at the end of labor can be a huge motivation.

It has Support

Even a herculean task can become less intimating with some company. Thus, it’s no secret that when people share a new year resolution with a friend, they are less likely to get distracted and are able to achieve success rather easily compared to fighting the battle on their own.

It’s the Only One

According to the American Psychological Association, the odds of a person keeping their new year resolution successfully are greater when they work on one resolution at a time.

With only one main goal to focus on, there is less room for failure. Plus, there is less stress and few lifestyle changes to adjust to.

An important thing to realize with all the new year resolutions is that one must be comfortable and accept the current status of their health. Since moving to a healthier lifestyle takes time and energy, it’s important to proceed step by step and in a slow fashion.

Setting unrealistic expectations or wanting overnight changes will only lead to disappointment. On the other hand, working towards the goal at a steady pace can certainly yield positive results.

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