Sticking with it: The New Year’s Challenge
The New Year’s resolution is probably one of the hardest promises to keep (a promise made with yourself, that is). Be it taking up a new hobby, being a better coworker or learning to cook, the examples are limitless and often very ambitious and overwhelming. Perhaps the most popular one, as you may know, is getting in shape. However, people rarely follow up on these goals in the long term for many different reasons. Below, you will see the most common obstacles to goal attainment and how to avoid them.
An important concept to retain about the New Year is that it is not about criticizing your old self and replacing it with a better self. It is simply about finding ways to improve your life.
People, almost always, overreach their objectives and set goals which are either too vague, too absolute, too ambitious or sometimes downright impossible. Like in any problem-solving situation, the key is to create a plan and stick to it, but not any kind of plan… You must first-and-foremost set very small short-term objectives that will eventually lead to your end goal but with a lot less pressure along the way. Doing your homework on the ways to lose very small amounts of weight at a time can be highly beneficial in the long run. A good plan can also include benchmarks where certain criteria must be met at specific, spread out times. Reaching these benchmarks will keep you focused, motivated and will make you feel better about your capabilities.
Another common problem is when people feel their resolution is so personal and only applicable to themselves that they avoid seeking help from others and sharing their goal attainment with others. However, having a “buddy” who can accompany you in reaching your objectives or who has set the same objectives for themselves and wishes to join you can also help concentration and positive outlook. It may even inspire friendly competition and lead you closer and closer to your end goal all the while.
Resolutioners often think that if they do not reach their end goal, they have failed. Nevertheless, there is a very broad grey area between success and failure. For example, every little progress in your resolution is a success because it leads you closer to your objective. The same goes for small setbacks, they are only obstacles that will help you learn and grow once passed. The only true failure is quitting completely. 99% of the time, quitting comes from the fear of failing. Therefore, having the right notion of failure can drastically help in fulfilling your resolution.
To clearly measure your weight loss progress, make sure to check out Starfrit’s array of Bathroom Scales. Their sleek designs and accurate weight measurement will make a great piece in your bathroom while keeping you up-to-date on your improvements. The Body Fat Scales can tell you precisely where your weight is coming from to avoid being fooled by a mere body weight reading: it notes your body weight, percentages of body fat, hydration, muscle and body bone.
People, almost always, overreach their objectives and set goals which are either too vague, too absolute, too ambitious or sometimes downright impossible. Like in any problem-solving situation, the key is to create a plan and stick to it, but not any kind of plan… You must first-and-foremost set very small short-term objectives that will eventually lead to your end goal but with a lot less pressure along the way. Doing your homework on the ways to lose very small amounts of weight at a time can be highly beneficial in the long run. A good plan can also include benchmarks where certain criteria must be met at specific, spread out times. Reaching these benchmarks will keep you focused, motivated and will make you feel better about your capabilities.
Another common problem is when people feel their resolution is so personal and only applicable to themselves that they avoid seeking help from others and sharing their goal attainment with others. However, having a “buddy” who can accompany you in reaching your objectives or who has set the same objectives for themselves and wishes to join you can also help concentration and positive outlook. It may even inspire friendly competition and lead you closer and closer to your end goal all the while.
Resolutioners often think that if they do not reach their end goal, they have failed. Nevertheless, there is a very broad grey area between success and failure. For example, every little progress in your resolution is a success because it leads you closer to your objective. The same goes for small setbacks, they are only obstacles that will help you learn and grow once passed. The only true failure is quitting completely. 99% of the time, quitting comes from the fear of failing. Therefore, having the right notion of failure can drastically help in fulfilling your resolution.
To clearly measure your weight loss progress, make sure to check out Starfrit’s array of Bathroom Scales. Their sleek designs and accurate weight measurement will make a great piece in your bathroom while keeping you up-to-date on your improvements. The Body Fat Scales can tell you precisely where your weight is coming from to avoid being fooled by a mere body weight reading: it notes your body weight, percentages of body fat, hydration, muscle and body bone.