Fallen a little behind on your New Year's resolutions? We can help!
Sometimes its hard to start a new healthy habit, or stop an unhealthy one. The first step of making any change to your life is just considering making a change in the first place. So if you are taking the time to read this blog post, congratulations! You've already taken step 1. Now, lets go through a couple more steps you can take to get you to your goals, and stick with them!
Step 2: Identify a specific goal
- The second step to making a change in your life for the better is to have a specific goal in mind. This can be anything from eating healthier, to being able to walk through the grocery store without stopping for rest, to completing your first 5K! Having a specific goal is a great place to start. It can help with motivation, and you may find that you're closer to your goal than you think!
Step 3: Start with the little things
- When we think of our specific goal from step 2, sometimes it can feel overwhelming and as if we are never going to be able to achieve it for one reason or another. This is where most people get stuck. The trick is to take that big specific goal, and break it down into smaller goals. For example, if your goal is to eat healthier, it would not be fun or enjoyable to just throw away all your junk food and promise yourself you are only going to eat fruits and veggies from now on!! Instead, try adding in a fruit or veggie here and there as a snack, or a part of a meal you are already making. If your goal is to be able to walk for longer amounts of time, start with taking a lap around your living room during the commercial breaks of your favorite TV show!
Step 4: Staying consistent
- Lets be honest, we've all started making changes in our life when we are really motivated, but then a week later we fall off the band-wagon. That is totally normal! However, in order to stop this endless cycle of starting new healthy habits, and then a week later feeling like you've failed, we need to have way's to help us stay consistent. One way is to tell loved ones of your goals. When other people know of your goals, sometimes they can help encourage you to keep up the good work. Also, just talking about your goals helps keep them in the front of your mind, so they're harder to forget about! Another way to stay consistent is to tell yourself its ok if you forgot one day. Life happens, not every day is perfect. So speaking kindly to yourself, and knowing that each new day, or even each new hour is another chance to keep up with this goal-achieving journey!
Step 5: Ask for help
- If you find yourself struggling with your goals for one reason or another, we are always here to help you figure it out! We can help you make SMART goals, use motivational interviewing to help you identify barriers to achieving your goals, and help you roadmap your way to success! Give us a call at (607) 272-9937 to schedule an appointment or start the Wellness program with us!
