Creating Meaningful Resolutions

A few tips on creating meaningful resolutions and sticking to them

1.  Make your resolutions tangible.

Rather than something like, “work out more” create a more concrete goal that can be measured.  A tangible resolution along those same lines would be “Work out at least 4 times per week.”  

This might force you to break up your resolutions into smaller ones, which is fine.  Think about how you will achieve that large goal of say, losing 20 pounds.  Tangible resolutions that would help you achieve that big accomplishment of 20 pounds lost could be, “Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.” “Limit refined sugar to one time per week, or less.” “Complete a 5k”.

Some of your resolutions may not be completely measurable.  Simply try your best!

2.  Make your resolutions challenging, but doable.

Think hard about how much you are capable of changing in one year and be as realistic as possible.  If you haven’t exercised in years, it is not going to be smart for you to run 3 miles every day of the week.  A more realistic goal could be try a new fitness class each month.

It is a good idea, however, to set goals that you know will challenge you.  Think about the phrase, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”.  

3.  Revisit your resolutions throughout the year.

Don’t simply write out your 2014 resolutions and tuck them away until the end of the year…or worse, lose them all together.  Keep your goals in a place that you can easily review them, remind yourself of what they are and why you made them.  

My 2014 Resolutions

- Move my body in some way every day.

- Continue taking four (or more) Bar Method classes/week.

- Attend at least one Level 2 Bar Method Class/month.

- Continue to follow the Tone it Up Nutrition Plan

- Participate in all of the 2014 Tone it Up Challenges (Love Your Body, Bikini Series, etc.)

- Drink my recommended allotment of water every day.

- Wear sunscreen every. single. day.

- Read roughly one book each month.  

- Control superfluous spending by making a monthly budget, sticking to it and learn to say no to myself.

- Continue to identify and eliminate stressors in my life.

With my birthday at the end of March, I plan to do a post checking in on my 2014 resolutions in early April. Birthdays are another time of reflection for me, and I think it will be a great opportunity to revisit these goals and do any necessary tweaking.