It’s been a couple of weeks after New Year’s and I’ve already broken a couple of my resolutions. I said I was going to go to sleep earlier and I haven’t. I said I was going to work out each morning and so far I’ve just been sleeping in. Why did I break them and why can’t I stick to my new year’s resolutions? Well, I found a few tips to help me stick to my resolutions and some tips to stay healthy this year so I can end 2020 with some goals accomplished.

More Discipline, More Goals Accomplished.

Discipline is one of the most important factors in accomplishing your goals. Discipline is how people succeed and it takes sacrifice. What is discipline? Discipline is sticking to your responsibilities no matter how you are feeling that day. One of the reasons I failed my resolutions is because I wasn’t disciplined enough. I was tired each morning and I didn’t feel like working out. Discipline is working out every morning, no matter how you feel. It is taking your goals seriously enough where you make sacrifices for them. Discipline takes a hold when motivation doesn’t. Speaking of motivation...

Motivation Is Key to Fulfill Your Resolutions.

Another common reason why people fail their goals is because they often lack the motivation. What is motivation? Motivation is not just thinking “I need to lose weight,” motivation is the spirit that inspires you to go out and lose weight. Motivation can be a reward, a person, or even a motto. There must be something that pushes you to change when you can’t push yourself. If you are like me and were lacking enough motivation, it helps to listen to inspiring music, podcasts, or to read inspiring books. Often, we can find inspiration from people just like us who were able to go out and accomplish their dreams. Their stories can help us achieve our goals as well. My motivation is how much better I will feel when I work out every day.

Don’t Try to Do Too Much.

One of the ways I messed up was having too many resolutions this year. I want to work out more, sleep better, make more money, drink less, eat out less often, work more, save more money; it’s a lot. Every day, I am trying to accomplish all these goals and it can be stressful and overwhelming. No wonder I have already messed up a couple. The idea is to have only a few things to change throughout the year. Or to split it up monthly or even weekly. So instead of having all the resolutions mentioned, I may just cut it down to sleep better, work out more, and save more money. Or I may just focus on those three for the month of January, and focus on some other goals in February. The point is to not put too much on your plate. We all want to start the new year off strong and accomplish everything but sometimes it’s better to start small.

Be SMART with Your New Year’s Resolutions.

This doesn’t have to do with how intelligent you are but it’s an acronym. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Let’s say you want to lose weight this year. The goal needs to be specific. What do I want to accomplish? What will it take? When will it take place? Why do I want to do it? We can say I want to lose ten pounds to fit into my pants, it will take working out more. That is a specific goal. Now it needs to be measurable.

So how much do I need to do to accomplish it and what will take to accomplish it, and when will it be accomplished? We can say, I want to lose ten pounds by the end of February by working out at least three times a week, eating smaller portions for meals and using lipotropic injections to speed up the process.

Now it needs to be achievable. Can I actually accomplish this goal? Will I be able to set aside the time to do it? Do I have what I need to accomplish it? Now the goal needs to be relevant. There needs to be a reason to do it. Am I overweight now? Is it affecting my health? Is now the right time?

Finally, it needs to be bound by time. Can I achieve this goal in two months? Can I take 45 minutes to workout three times a week? Once you answer these questions, you will have a better idea of your goals and how to accomplish them.

It’s OK if you mess up. Trust Me.

I already messed up achieving some of my goals this year. I could feel sad about it and beat myself up. I can give up for the rest of the year and not make an effort to achieve these goals I wanted to. Or I can just get back on the horse and try again.

We are not perfect and sometimes we make mistakes that interfere with what we are trying to achieve out of life. It happens. What we have to do is continue on the path we are on, no matter how many times we fall. Eventually we will learn how to avoid falling and we will achieve our goals. I could skip working out entirely for the rest of the year since I already messed up but then I would be no closer to my goal then I am now. If I really want to work out more, I gotta hit the gym more often, eat healthier or include IV drips to improve results. It's as simple as that. Maybe I wasn’t able to go today but I can go tomorrow. The point is not to be hard on yourself and not quit just because you mess up. You can always adjust those goals.

Ask for Help to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions.

If you want to stick to your resolutions and keep your healthy habits, it will help to talk to someone else or have someone hold you accountable. This year I am working with a therapist to help me achieve my goals and keep me accountable. I presented her a list of all the things I want to accomplish and I will be meeting with her every month to see where I am at. This way I can check in and see how I am progressing. She knows what I need to do and how I need to do it, so if I mess up, she will know and she will help me get back on track. If you don’t have a therapist, you can also try a loved one or friend to help you out. Maybe they share some of the same resolutions and you can accomplish them together. This is another good way to be held accountable. Whatever you choose, it definitely pays to ask for help.