It’s the same story every year: January comes, and we tell ourselves we’ll eat better, exercise more, and work toward being the healthiest we’ve ever been. While these are all admirable goals, a lot of obstacles can get in the way that steer us off-course. We’re talking expensive gym memberships, pricey health foods and juices, and that little thing called life. But, we want 2014 to be your best yet and for you to make good on those resolutions, so, we’ve done the hard work for you and have set up our favourite tips to support you in reaching your goals:
Get it App-ning!
Make a start by doing more than uploading selfies on your phone this year and start taking advantage of technology and apps that make life simpler! For any given resolution, there are a slew of desktop and mobile apps that can support you in reaching your goals. Here are a few to get you started:
Pact (iOS/Android) offers financial motivation. The app, formerly known, as GymPact, charges you a fee for missing your workout, and gives you a payout if you do make it (paid for by non-exercising app-users). They have just started offering new pacts for logging your food and eating fruits and vegetables, with a similar fee structure! A great little incentiviser to NOT miss your workout!
If your resolution is to eat healthily, then you can’t look past MyFitnessPal (iOS/Android), an app with a calorie-counter diary so you can log everything you eat and track what you’re actually consuming. You can also use the app as a meal planner. So if you know you’ll order dessert at the dinner tonight, you can work the rest of your meals that day around it. Simple, but effective!
Write it down
Once you have decided on your resolutions, write them down. You could even make a contract with yourself stating what you will set out to do and sign it to make it official. Writing down the resolutions creates a greater connection between your thinking self and your doing self and makes the resolution appear more real than if you simply think it in your head.
Buddy-up
The easiest way to stick to resolutions is to tell those around you. The act of saying something out loud makes it more official, not to mention, if you tell a friend or family member that you trust about your goals then they will provide you with support and keep you focused on what you want to achieve. And if you are wavering at all, their support will ensure you don’t give up, just in case you feel like a quitter. You can also find out whether they have similar goals; fitness, hobby and health focussed resolutions are often better stuck to when you pair up and can provide constant support to each other if they are going through the same experiences as you!
Celebrate
Remember to celebrate your successes, but make sure the way you celebrate doesn’t go against your resolution. If you cut down on drinking alcohol, clearly it’s best not to reward yourself with a glass of wine. Instead, treat yourself to those shoes you’ve had your eye on, or tickets to a play you’ve been dying to see. You deserve it! Keep going. Why stop now when you’ve done this well? Extend the timeline of your resolution and work it into your everyday routine. By next year, you’ll be more than ready to face your next challenge.
