The holiday season has come and gone, and many people are going into 2021 with new goals and resolutions regarding their personal health. If you’re anything like me, thinking of new year’s resolutions is easy, but sticking with them all year is much more challenging. Whether your new year’s resolution is to lose weight, gain muscle, or even just to maintain where you are now, there are plenty of different strategies to help you stay on track and achieve your goals for 2021.
1.) Shoot for the Stars: When thinking about what you want to achieve in the new year, do not sell yourself short! Set goals for yourself that push the boundaries of what you think you can accomplish, and you may be surprised by what you are able to achieve. Setting these “reach” goals can help you to push yourself harder and not become too comfortable with small amounts of progress. It’s helpful to break these big year-long goals down into smaller monthly goals. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds this year, set goals to lose 5 pounds by March, another 5 pounds by May, and so on. This strategy can help to make a big goal seem much more attainable.
2.) Build a Team: Once you decide on your resolution, tell your friends and family! A good way of holding yourself accountable throughout the year is to create a team of supporters who can help encourage you to keep working towards your goals. Of course this can also be a two-way street, with you encouraging your friends and family to stick with their resolutions as well. This is also a great way to get a new workout partner, since one of your friends may have the same goals as you do for the new year!
3.) Set a Routine: A great way to stay on track with your goals is to create a schedule and to follow it until it becomes second nature. Set aside an hour or two each day to exercise, and make sure to stay consistent! Try and work out around the same time each day to help form a habit. After a few weeks of persistence, daily exercise will become an essential part of your daily routine, and much less of a daunting task than before.
4.) Learn from the Past: If you have tried to achieve your resolution before and ended up not reaching your goal, what happened? Try and learn from your past shortcomings and not fall into the same patterns that threw you off track last year. Look back and think about what went wrong, and make a conscious effort to adjust and keep moving toward your goals. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t achieve your resolution in 2020, rather think of it as a step in the right direction on your path to completing achieving your goals in 2021.
5.) Be Your Own #1 Fan: Give yourself some credit! Change is never easy, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. People are often too hard on themselves and fail to realize that even if they don’t reach their goal, they still make progress. If you set out to lose 20 pounds this year and are only able to lose 10 pounds, that’s okay! Don’t be discouraged, and give yourself a pat on the back for the hard work you put in throughout the year.
Stay positive and keep going, even if you hit a plateau. As long as you are trying your best, it’s okay if you have trouble along the way.
With these 5 helpful tips, achieving your goals for the new year should be easier than ever before. Make sure to stay positive, surround yourself with supportive people, and dedicate time each day to work towards your goals. Follow these strategies and by this time next year you’ll have made great progress on your fitness journey. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and I wish you all a happy, healthy new year!