How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

We are now entering into the second week of January, and this is the point where most people who made resolutions have broken them. Already the ones who wanted to lose weight are guiltily binge-eating and the ones who wanted to be more organised slept in this morning. We  are not perfect. Temptation is very hard to resist.

Of course, there are those people who miraculously have not broken a single resolution. I salute you people. I am terrible at keeping resolutions, and always break them within the first week. And the guilt afterwards at having failed is awful. This is why I’ve thought up some ways to stick to resolutions-  I want to avoid my guilt.

So for all those wonderful people who have kept to their resolutions, here are some tips to keep you going. And for the rest, you can start again if you want. I promise I won’t tell anybody- it’s just a little bump in the road. Good luck!

Get rid of temptation. This is especially relevant for those of us who want to lose weight. You don’t have to get rid of every fatty food in your house, but don’t buy extras that you know you don’t need. If you find it hard to cut out your little treats, simply switch for a healthier alternative or go for smaller portions. I find though, the easiest method is to get rid of those things you know you really don’t need. If there’s no temptation there’s no failures. Simple.

Tell somebody. I’ve said this in previous posts, that the best way to keep you going is to tell someone your goals. Then you’re going to have someone constantly checking up to see how you’re doing. You can’t let them down! You must power through! Of course, this doesn’t work if you tell someone who doesn’t care, so make sure to tell your dreams to someone who will want to know how you’re doing.

Keep track of your progress. You’re more likely to want to continue if you see how well you’ve done over a certain period of time.

Remember your success in a smile, remember your failures as a learning curve. Maybe you break your resolution. This doesn’t mean you have to curl up in a ball in the corner of the room and sob yourself to sleep because you ‘just can’t do anything right’. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Look at it like a lesson- think about what you did wrong and resolve to try harder next time. And if you’re doing well, recognise it! Remember that accomplished feeling and let it motivate you. Reward yourself, but don’t go too far with your celebrations. Go you! You’re doing well!

Work with a friend. For me, there is nothing I like more than having a partner. I love motivating each other, and I love the company. Of course, like with telling someone, you have to choose someone who is as motivated as you. If you’re not comfortable with working with a friend, and have some cash to spare, you could try a personal trainer.

Have fun! I know what you’re thinking- how could this be fun? If you’re really not enjoying yourself, try something else that makes you happier. The main part of this is to make you feel better about yourself, and proud of yourself. If you’re not happy, what’s the point?

I hope these tips helped, and if you have any questions, feel free to comment below and ask away!