Motivation 101: Sticking to Your Resolutions

To start with, you really need to set a good resolution. Don’t be over ambitious – wanting to lose 10kg in two weeks isn’t going to happen and is not a healthy way to think. A resolution is a goal. The best way to make a goal is to make it SMART...
 

1: Specific – eg “I will go for a walk three times a week for half an hour in my lunch break”

 

2: Measurable – To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as, how much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?

 

3: Attainable – Make sure your Resolution is attainable, otherwise you’ll end up feeling defeated and give up. Start small rather than big; better to better your resolution than to fail it as it was too unrealistic.

 

4: Realistic – If you believe that it can be achieved, your resolution probably can. You should be both willing and able to achieve it to make it realistic

 

5: Timely - To be successful and to keep you motivated, give your resolution a time frame. For example, “I want to lose 5 kg before my birthday in May”. This way you’ve set your mind to a time and can begin working towards it.

 

No you don’t need to sit cross-legged with your eyes closed, but picture in your head what you want to achieve. Visualisation is like a dress rehearsal of what you want to achieve. If your goal is to run a 10 km race, picture yourself fit and healthy, running at a steady pace feeling good and crossing the finish line with your friends cheering for you. When you visualise, you experience the emotions of reaching your goal which affects your subconscious mind – so you are more likely to act to achieve your goals.

 

Find a friend with a similar resolution and work at it together. When you can’t be bothered going for a run, the commitment of meeting your friend helps get your butt off the couch and out the door!  It’s a win/win situation as you both help keep each other motivated as well as both getting great results.

 

Now you're armed with the strategies to achieve resolution, write your resolution down, stick it on the fridge to remind yourself every day and get to it! Good luck.