Clean slates and fresh starts inspire us to dream. Each New Year, we imagine the kind of life that might be ours. The promise of change fills us with hope as we get excited about the possibilities.

People promise themselves that this is the year everything changes: out with the old and in with the new. Gym memberships soar, cupboards are cleaned out, and new standards for romantic relationships are set. 

Who doesn’t want to be healthier, happier, and wealthier than the year before? But it takes focus, resilience, dedication to the monotonous, and sheer will to make it happen.

A new you in the new year is possible, but how much do you want it? How much comfort are you willing to give up to create the life of your dreams? Dreaming is easy. Doing, well, that’s the hard part. 

Change starts with reflection

Reflect on where you are in this season of life and consider where you want to be. Imagine ways to use your time and energy to make things better, more fun, and more meaningful. Decide what you must give up to gain what you want most.

There’s a lot of truth to the old adage: No pain, no gain. In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s words, “Hard work works.”

What Worked in 2023?

Spend time reflecting on what worked for you in 2023. What did you do that support your health, relationships, career, and dreams? What results are you pleased with? 

Does anything stand out in particular? Were there any meaningful experiences with friends or loved ones?

Were there any special moments with your children or family that you want more of in 2024?

Being mindful of what you appreciate about 2023 can help you bring them into 2024 and inspire you to live by design instead of default.

What crashed and burned in 2023?

Not everything about 2023 was ideal. Certain things were probably a disaster. 

Were you overwhelmed by an activity or assignment you thought you’d enjoy but was a total waste of time and energy?

Did any relationships crash and burn? If so, why?

If you’re married, what were some highs and lows, and what made the lows low?

Do you have personal standards that must be changed or any values you must add?

Missing the mark can be painful. But pain can be the best teacher ever.

As you reflect on the flops of 2023, what are some things that were so bad, disappointing, or painful that you say, “No more!” going into 2024?

What was missing from 2023? 

If you could do 2023 again, what was missing that you’d surely add next time? 

What would you do differently? What would you say “yes” to more often because it fills your life with more of what brings you true joy, and what, or to whom, would you give a hard “no” because it subtracts from your happiness instead of adding? 

Your 2024 Pep Talk

Remember your value going into 2024. Don’t sell yourself short by settling for less than you KNOW you deserve in 2024. 

Toxic activities must go, along with toxic people, energy stealers, and dream killers.

You’ve outgrown certain activities, relationships, and standards. 

Reflecting on 2023 while fresh in your mind is an excellent way to ensure 2024 will be better and help you stick to your vision when things get hard, and you’re tempted to give up on yourself and your dreams. 

May 2024 be the year you leave behind all the things that steal life and joy from your soul and unlock your best life!  

The post How To End 2023 To Unlock Your Best Life in 2024! appeared first on Lifestyle.

According to surveys, most people give up on their resolutions by the second or third week of January and resign themselves to the “realities” of life.

The fiery passion that ignited the New Year fades into a weak flicker that dies in days.

Leading the list of resolutions are health and fitness goals, for most people. Ads are everywhere for discounted gym memberships, waived fees, and new diets that promise you will lose those holiday inches in just days.

But you know how it goes because you’ve seen it all before. The gym is full in January and empty weeks later.

But you can make your fitness goals come true – you can be an exception to the statistics this year. Here’s how.

Be Simple

Making things overly complicated kills motivation and progress. Don’t over think your diet, workout clothes, or even your workout routine.

Have as few moving parts as possible.

Which is better, a complicated workout routine you struggle with and quit weeks later, or one that’s simple and easy to stick with?

Same with your diet; don’t make it complicated. Eat healthy most of the time but enjoy your favorite foods some of the time. It’s about balance and enjoying the journey.

When it comes to fitness goals, the secret to success is consistency, not perfection. So choose a workout and diet you can stick with.

Be Realistic

Transforming your body isn’t an overnight process despite what the infomercials promise. Those professional fitness models took more than a few months to sculpt their flawless bodies into perfection.

So don’t believe the hype that “All it takes is fifteen minutes a day, three times a week!” Hey, fifteen minutes a day three times a week is better than nothing, but it’s probably not enough to get the results you see in those ads.

Transforming your body takes time. So create a process that you can enjoy by setting realistic goals you will stick with.

Start small. You might aim for two to three workout a week, and avoid your favorite junk foods five days a week, allowing yourself a few treats on the weekend.

Own Your Why

Transforming your health and body is about consistency. And the reality is, some days you’ll feel like doing it, some you won’t, but you have to do it anyway.

The fiery motivation you had at the first of the year will die down, which is why you need more than inspiration to keep you going. You need a strong reason to keep you moving forward when you’d rather be sitting on the couch after a long day at work.

Some strong reasons include having more energy, being stronger, maintaining functional independence, looking and feeling good, losing weight to lower the risk of chronic disease, and boosting longevity to have many more quality years of life with your loved ones.

Own your “why” because it keeps you going when you feel like quitting.

You absolutely can achieve your fitness goals in 2021 – or at least get closer than last year. If you don’ want to be back at square January 1 next year, remember to create a fitness plan that’s simple and easy to stick with, set realistic goals, and own your why to stay intrinsically motivated on the days you feel like quitting.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

The post How To Stick With Your Health & Fitness Resolutions In 2021 appeared first on Lifestyle.

However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the holidays and indulging in special treats or rich foods. We just need to make sure we don’t eat that way the rest of the year!

Some people go on one of those guilt-ridden juice cleanses and deprive themselves of their favorite foods in January to atone for eating poorly during the holidays. But this kind of all or nothing approach rarely works because it’s unsustainable. A better approach is to set small, realistic goals that slowly reset your mindset and body.

It’s Really Not a Big Deal

A couple of days of overindulgence is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. So don’t treat it like a major catastrophe or as an excuse to eat more junk food because the “week is lost as far as healthy eating goes.” Instead of wallowing in guilt or regret for falling off the wagon, just hit the reset button.

Hit the Reset Button ASAP

A quick rebound is the biggest predictor of long-term health success. A weekend or two of over-indulgence won’t affect your long-term health goals if you get back on track as soon as possible.

Just don’t let a few bad eating choices become the new normal for your eating habits moving forward; start eating nutritious meals again as soon as possible.

One Meal at a Time

Getting back on track is more manageable when you do it one meal at a time. Just focus on making one nutritious meal, and then another, and then another.

A few days of eating nutrient rich food like fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and whole grains is all you need to cleanse your palate and blunt cravings for sweet and greasy junk food.

Work Out

Healthy eating and fitness go hand in hand; nothing revs up your metabolism like a good workout. If you want your body to burn carbs and fat more efficiently, slowly incorporate, or reintroduce, exercise into your routine.

To be consistent with an exercise program, it helps to remember the mental and emotional benefits of working out to stay motivated.

And when you feel stressed and are tempted to comfort yourself by overeating or scarfing down a pint of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, stop flirting with temptation and go for a walk or run immediately instead to conquer any cravings for comfort food.

We all overindulge from time to time but it’s really no big deal. Health and fitness is not a predefined road that requires perfection. Just focus on making your next meal healthier, throw in some exercise and before you know it you’ll be back on track in no time.

The post Getting Back on Track after a Period of Overindulgence appeared first on Lifestyle.

It’s that time of the year when tons of well-meaning people head to the gym to begin working on their new fitness goals.

It’s unfortunate that most of these resolutions will be long forgotten by mid-February (or sooner).

The main reason is because most resolutions are unrealistic; people set themselves up for failure before they even start!

The idea of conquering the mountain is exciting! But the actual climb? Not so much.

Losing 50 pounds by summer sounds exciting but it’s a bit overambitious for most people. Such goals make it difficult to remain enthusiastic about the new you because the results aren’t coming fast enough – as is often the case with health & fitness resolutions.

Take it slow…

It took years to develop the lifestyle habits that led to where you are now. Changing these habits will take time. This isn’t what you want to hear but it will keep you from quitting too soon.

Stick with it for at least 30 days…

It takes at least three weeks to start a new habit (in two weeks it should start feeling like your “new normal”) and six weeks to anchor it. So if you quit within the first two weeks you’ll never know whether the change was right for you.

They say “In two weeks you’ll feel it & in four weeks you’ll see it!” Whatever you decide to change about your lifestyle, whether it’s your diet or how often you work out, give yourself at least 30 days to see if the change is right for you.

Develop a daily regimen…

If you truly want to change your lifestyle you can’t just go with the flow. You can’t go to bed, wake up, eat and workout if/whenever you feel like it.

Saying “I’ll work out more” is not a plan. It’s a wish. And it takes more than wishes & good intentions to break unhealthy habits and for you to create the life you say that you want.

If you want your resolutions to stick, schedule time for them in your calendar. If you’re planning on going to the gym 3 to 5 times a week, add it to your schedule and remember to include time for your commute. Don’t leave any room for excuses.

Celebrate all achievements, big & small…

Positive reinforcement is important for staying on track. A goal that is all work and no play is extremely demotivating, which greatly increases the risk of throwing in the towel.

The reward must be something that is beneficial and keeps you on track – something you want and look forward to but WON’T derail your efforts.

You shouldn’t celebrate losing a couple pounds with 3 slices of chocolate fudge cake. It might not be enough to make you regain the weight but it’ll make it harder for you to stay on track because you will lose momentum. A better idea would be to buy yourself some new workout clothes or treat yourself to a well-earned massage.

These time-tested tips offer an insight into the psychology of resolutions so you can know which pitfalls to avoid while giving your resolutions enough time to take hold.

You WILL conquer that mountain in 2018…as long as you never stop climbing.

The post Make Your Health & Fitness Resolutions Stick! appeared first on Lifestyle.