THE SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR

THE SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR

"You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems."
                -James Clear

It’s the New Year! This is a great time to implement new lifestyle changes and create certain goals to chase for the year. This is great but the big problem is many people stop after a month or two. Today I am going to teach you how to set your goals up for success and finally achieve them! 

Start off with creating steps for an attainable goal

The biggest problem when people set New Year's resolutions or goals is they set one extreme goal. A lot of people end up getting frustrated with that yuge goal, get overwhelmed, and give up after a few months. Instead, set up multiple goals leading up to that one big goal. For example, if your ultimate goal is to lose thirty pounds then break down how you’re going to get there:

1. Find your obstacles: junk food around the house
2. Revamp your system: create a reasonable schedule
3. Set and break down small goals: learn calories, find how to get active

By that time, you have already achieved those steps, you are closer to your ultimate goal. By breaking it down to smaller goals throughout the process, it gives our brain a sense of accomplishment and gives us the drive to continue! 

Reward yourself when you achieve them

Rewards are a great way to keep you on track for your goals. Our neurons release dopamine, which is the reward chemical that gives us more of a push in accomplishing the next steps. Thus, making people stay on track because they’re hitting milestones step by step. When thinking about a reward try to make it reasonable. A lot of people will set a reward, “once I lose this weight, I can eat as much as I want!” which can do more harm than good. Instead, try another attainable goal such as having a refeed to slowly get your body used to the calories it needs to maintain. This will introduce your body to more calories which will keep the weight off. After your first achievement, the recommended weight loss cycle is 2-3 months of a caloric deficit then giving your body a break with maintenance calories in order to stay on track. As opposed to being on a caloric deficit for 6 months and ignoring your body’s signals. In turn, you are unknowingly rewarding yourself with the calories your body needs, and it is easier for you to continue the weight loss process. 

Find someone to help hold you accountable
We all think we don’t need anyone to push us or to talk with someone about goals we have. This can be a difficult thing for people to do. Find someone that you are comfortable with, but you know will still hold you accountable. The best thing is you can hold each other accountable every day. Just by checking in on each other can make a big difference in your confidence and motivation.

Now that we have these tips, it is time to start putting it to use! Always remember, it is a marathon not a sprint! 

    
Written by: Matt Marczyk
Edited by: Lorraine Edralin