Don't Give Up On Your New Years Resolution Just Yet

Don't Give Up On Your New Years Resolution Just Yet

A lot of us would have started this year with the aim of doing something different, achieving a goal, a transformational year or simply the best years of our lives. That's great, there are lots of things I want to achieve both professionally and personally this year, I would argue that without taking actions towards our goals, hopes and dreams then we (or certainly I) lack a purpose and would be heading down an aimless path.

This may be an unpopular stance though, but in the UK and countries that have similar traditions and weather conditions, January can be the hardest and arguably a ridiculously difficult time to make overwhelming or transformational changes. It's cold and dark outside, there is junk food left over from Christmas, works busy after having a break and all in all it’s the time of year where our comfort zone calls the hardest. There will be a huge number of people sat there a few weeks into the new year feeling like they have completely failed because they haven't kept up with the habit they have tried to build. If that's you, please don't give up just yet.

Now there will be the very disciplined, the very motivated and the hardened amongst us who can just flip that switch and go all in on multiple things at once. There will also be hundreds of Instagram posts telling you to be more disciplined, work harder and punish yourself for failing because you didn't go on a couple of morning runs. Again for some people that mentality will work and for people who have for a long time been pushing themselves in a certain field one that has value.

For those of us who that isn't going to work for, especially for those relatively new or returning to exercise or are wanting to take a healthier lifestyle more seriously than before do not fear. Just because you have missed a few days exercise or finished off the Christmas chocolate faster than you should have (guilty!) doesn't mean that your whole year is a failure. If anything I would argue that you are a step closer to success. You have found what doesn't work, a path that isn't going to lead to where you want to go. The key now is to refocus and find the path that is going to lead you there.

There are lots of people who can help you get onto that right path but here are some of my top tips:

• Be sensible with your expectations of yourself. Instead of trying to revolutionise your whole day at one time why not build one habit, ingrain it and then build another. For instance concentrate on getting an extra walk in a day to get to 10,000 steps. Once that's a habit maybe focus on a more balanced breakfast before then sorting lunch and so on and so on.

• Find ways to keep yourself accountable. That might be joining a CrossFit Gym and signing yourself into a class the night before to make sure you go, or attending a fitness class with a friend  or with a group of people who can help keep you motivated.

• Write down you goals. The trusty to do list very rarely fails if it's used well. It also never hurts to write some attainable things on there to keep you motivated as you go through the day.

• Finally, find a person to help guide you, it doesn't have to cost anything at all, it could be a friend, a family member or colleague. Equally if it helps it could be a coach who can help shape your journey.

Ultimately we are all different and we are all going to have our own way to achieving our goals. But if you are struggling with your new years resolutions please don't throw the towel in just yet. It's hard to make significant changes, especially in January but you haven't failed because you haven't achieved consistency or mastery of your goals in the first few weeks. That takes time, give yourself the time!

Andy