By February do you feel like your best-intentioned New Year’s resolutions are already casualities of your day to day life? This happens when we set unrealistically high, or vague, goals. Get more exercise, eat better, lose weight - these are all good goals to aim for, but in order to achieve our goals, we need to make mini-goals that we can achieve a little at a time. It is easier said than done, especially without an achievable plan.
So, how do I do this? Identify your final goal (lose 30 pounds this year) and create a timeline with smaller goals that you know you can achieve. For instance, you can aim for losing five pounds a month, increasing your daily steps by 30 percent per day, eating five servings of fruits and veggies a day. By the way, it is easier to ADD a behavior, than it is to stop a behavior. Eating better can be looked at in different ways: 1. I will stop eating crappy, but my favorite, food or 2. I will eat five fruits and vegetables per day. As a byproduct of focusing on adding the fruits and vegetables to what I eat every day, I will eat less “crappy” food and by following this approach I will also feel less deprived.
Setting mini-goals is the best way to achieve your goals. Achievable goals also provide positive feedback, increase your self-confidence, and help you attain your final goal. If you do fall short, accept that you are human and try again tomorrow. Every day is an opportunity for a new start.