The start of the new year always comes with great motivation and enthusiasm to reach our goals. However, if we’re not careful about goal setting, it’s too easy for those resolutions to quickly disappoint.
Making changes is always challenging; success takes effort, planning, and determination. But it’s also important not to overlook the importance of setting yourself up for success. After all, if you don’t have dependable advice or resources to rely on, how can you stick with your healthy behaviours long enough to achieve your goals?
Our Georgia Strait Women’s Clinic team is here to guide you in reaching your desired outcome. So, take a deep breath. The new year presents numerous opportunities for progress that can be unlocked by following the right steps.
Focus on Making Small Improvements
One of the main reasons why people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions is that they try to make too many changes all at once. This can be overwhelming and make you feel like you’re not progressing.
Set measurable and achievable goals that you can gradually work towards. Instead of tackling everything at once, focus on making small improvements. Taking things one step at a time will make you more likely to stick with your healthy lifestyle changes in the long run.
Reflect on What You’ve Already Achieved
When trying to make changes in your life, it’s easy to get caught up in what you haven’t accomplished yet or how far you still have to go. But if you want to stay motivated and on track, it’s important to focus on what you have already achieved.
Looking back at your accomplishments can help you see how far you’ve come and how much progress you’ve made. Allow this progress to remind you that you are capable of making changes and reaching your goals.
Instead of beating yourself up for what you haven’t done, take a few minutes each day to reflect on your successes—no matter how small they may seem.
If At First, You Don’t Succeed, Don’t Blame Yourself.
It’s okay to stumble when you’re first starting on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. What’s important is that you pick yourself up and keep going.
If, at first, you don’t succeed, don’t blame yourself or engage in negative self-talk. If you slip up, acknowledge it and move forward. Wake up the next day and get back to taking steps toward the healthy habit you’ve been trying to build.
Every day is a new opportunity to reach your goals, and every failure is a learning experience. Don’t beat yourself up over a mistake. Instead, use your mistakes as insight to identify your setbacks, prepare for more hurdles, and move forward.
Allow Self-Care to Guide You
The value of prioritizing self-care when working toward goals cannot be overstated. When we commit to getting sober, overcoming other mental health challenges, and starting fresh, we must commit to taking care of ourselves along the way.
It can be easy to forget about self-care when we’re focused on making positive changes in our lives. But it is important to remember that taking care of ourselves is just as important as any other goal. In fact, it’s essential to achieving them.
It looks different for everyone, but the essence of self-care is this: Whatever makes you feel good, do more of it. So go to therapy, keep making small steps, and practice self-compassion and forgiveness. By making self-care a priority, you show that you are inherently worthy of the goals you are striving toward – something necessary to create life-long changes.
