With the New Year comes new resolutions. We all know that sticking to those resolutions is easy when they're new, but as time drags, they begin to lose their charm. Many resolutions are connected to being healthier, so we have a couple of suggestions on how to make part of your resolution a habit, that way come next year 2019 won’t be another year of failed resolutions.
Shop on the Outskirts of the Grocery Store
If healthy eating falls under your new resolutions we find shopping on the outer walls of the grocery store is the easiest way to eat whole foods. Most grocery stores are laid out in the same format. Produce, deli, meat, bulk, and dairy almost always line the walls while the non-perishables are on the shelves in the middle. Creating a grocery list and menu that keeps most of your shopping outside of the middle aisles is a simple way to determine if your food choices are on the healthier side. That isn’t to say never go into the middle aisles, we duck in to pick up beans or canned tomatoes, just consider looking at the ingredients when shopping the middle. Checking for as few added ingredients as possible is where we start. You may be shocked how quickly your grocery shopping gets done with this method. A bonus when running errands, like grocery shopping, would be to park further back in the parking lot to get in extra steps to and from the car, simple yet effective.
Spice up Your Exercise
Going to the gym every day is fun for some people, for others that is their personal definition of torture. If you fall in the latter category here is a suggestion for you. Instead of scheduling strict “gym” time with the treadmill and weights, consider looking at the class schedule your gym has to offer. Taking a class once or twice a week, on top of the gym time, could help eliminate the monotony from repeating the same exercise every day. Our favorite way to spice up our exercise is to find a fun activity, preferably outside. A trampoline park, skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, surfing, hiking, mall walking, bike riding. The list is endless. Make it fun, be active, bonus if you include the whole family!
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
Most important with New Year’s resolutions is “don’t beat yourself up.” January first is just another day like any other. If it isn’t a good time for you to set a goal, then don’t. If setting a resolution leads to negative thoughts and self-deprivation, don’t set one. We can set goals any time of the year, we aren’t required to set one because the calendar turned over. The new year is a time where we feel we have a clean slate, the next 365 days to make our dreams come true. There are 365 between February 16, 2019 and February 16, 2020. A year is a year regardless of what day we set our goals.
Keeping a resolution is tricky. The goal is to not think of it as a resolution, to make it a natural part to every day. Make it a lifestyle choice, a habit. By creating the habit of buying whole foods for your home you may find it easier to order healthier options at restaurants. Finding an exercise class that you enjoy may get you to the gym once a week. Planning fun, active activities with your family allows you to spend time with those you love and make memories, while feeling good about your choices. By making everything a habit, the negative thoughts fade away. You don’t need the new year to be the best version of you, that’s an every day task. If you fall off the resolution wagon, dust yourself off and start again.