The exact day when New Year’s resolutions and goals are abandoned can vary but research shows that a huge significant number of people abandon their goals by February!
New Year, new you. Right? We see so many people wanting to start and create new habits every year. I personally did not set any this year! It’s my year of rest and relaxing more. To actually slow down and not add more to my plate!
However, if you choose to set new goals and make changes I got ya!
More and more people use the new year to set goals, resolutions, and make changes. But after 3-5 weeks a lot of the goals go to the side and people lose their momentum and by March, the enthusiasm we entered the new year with is beginning to taper off. Excuses begin to pop up, the weather gets bad, life happens, and resolutions fade into the background, 6 months in even more have stopped focusing on their goals.
Research has shown that almost half of Americans set New Year’s Goals and Resolutions, only 8% of them are successful at achieving them!
If you need help this new year in creating and sticking to your goals here are a few suggestions to help you from a certified and trained Holistic Health Coach, me, Nikki Lanigan.
How to Create New Habits That Actually Stick.
Start Small. If you have a goal to meditate everyday start with 3-5 minutes. If you want to start running start with run/walk a mile and work your way up. If you want to start saving more money. Set aside money each time you get paid. Open a savings account if you don’t have one yet.
Find Inspiration. Start to reflect on your life and what you want. Sit quietly and ask yourself: What inspires me? What brings me joy?
Know Your Excuses. Know what your go to excuses are. Is it because you are too tired? You don’t have enough time? You are too stressed to focus on it right now? It costs too much money to eat healthy. We all tell ourselves stories and make excuses. Schedule your day with your goal and act like it’s a meeting or an appointment. We don’t cancel our meetings or appointments last minute.
Find a friend, accountability partner, momentum partner. Tell someone your goals. Have them tell you their’s, be there and support each other. Cheer each other on. Call each other out on your BS.
Act on it. After finding your inspiration, determine how often you want to engage in that practice: daily, weekly, biweekly, etc., then schedule it in. Again, coming back to scheduling it in, if you don’t schedule something, you’re not going to do it.
Success. Set yourself up for success. If you do not go to the gym because you forget your gym clothes, start packing them the night before. If you want to start meditation, wake up earlier, start by 10 minutes and go to bed 10 minutes earlier. If you want to start reading more, buy a book. Leave it setting out so you see it. If you want to start your morning with warm water and lemons, have the lemons set out in a glass bowl or vase so you see them.
Celebrate. Each Friday, celebrate your wins for that week. Get a manicure, go out to eat with friends, family, significant other, go to the movies, go skiing. Big or small, celebrate!
Read books, listen to podcasts, or listen to audio books that can help you with your new goals or habits to stick.
Be compassionate with yourself. Don’t get upset if you get off track. Whether you slip on your new way of eating, skip a work out, or whatever it is, just get back to it tomorrow. Success is often about not giving up in spite of rejection and failure, so do not lose heart when you experience a set back, keep working. Some days may require rest, stillness, watching TV, and it might be impossible to stay the course. It takes time to build new habits.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
If you find yourself regressing constantly or struggling to stick to your goals, accountability can make a huge difference. Seek help from a health coach, a friend, or a like-minded group who can support you on your journey.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, and safe new year!
Nikki Lanigan
Nikki Lanigan is a yoga, HIIT, and Barre instructor, she is also a Holistic Health Coach through Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Nikki is trained in Yoga Shred, Yoga Psychology, meditation, chakra balancing, and EFT/Tapping. She has done trainings with Sadie Nardini and Ashley Turner. She got her 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2017 at the Carrie Treister School Of Yoga. Nikki takes a holistic view of health, helping her students and clients reach a place of self-love not just through movement, but with mindset and lifestyle guidance as well. Nikki is also show prep writer for The McVay Media Show Prep and host of the podcast Fit, Fun, and Frazzled. Connect with Nikki on Instagram. www.instagram.com/nikkilanigan.yogaandwellness www.instagram.com/fitfunandfrazzledpodcast
