Do you have a New Year’s resolution for 2022? The beloved and deeply held tradition of setting a New Year’s resolution is both fun…and almost guaranteed to fail. Yep, the truth is that about 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail, and most within the first few months.
Part of why these resolutions fail is that the new year becomes a catch-all for our end-of-year frustrations. The stress of the holidays, travel to visit family, a “screw it” attitude when it comes to our diets…these triggers all leave us feeling ready for a swift and radical change. But if you really want to succeed, you need to start making small changes now, rather than trying to change your whole life on January 1st.
If you have a fitness, health, or weight loss goal, it can be especially easy to want to push it off until you’ve come to the other side of the holidays. But if you want to succeed in the new year, you need to finish strong right now.
Making a few small, easy-to-implement changes NOW is the best way to ensure your success in the coming year. Start with an “end of year” review to help you understand where you’re coming from, where you’re at, and where you’re going. Grab a pen and paper and jot down your answer to these questions:
What three things did you do well this year?
Can I double down on my successes and continue to grow?
What did you try that didn’t work?
Are there any major contributing factors to those failures that can be improved, eliminated, or learned from?
Once you’ve honestly reviewed your year, you can start to think about goals for the new year. Try framing your goals in the context of these two questions:
What is my ONE main focus for 2022?
What are FIVE real, actionable steps I can take towards my goal?
If you have a fitness or weight loss goal, it’s important to think about making lifestyle changes rather than doing a radical redesign of your life. You are far more likely to consistently practice a few small changes over a long period of time, than you are to stick to an extremely different diet or exercise plan over the same long period of time.
In health and wellness, it’s all about the long game, not “quick fixes.”
The best way to start a lifestyle change is to start now! “Lifestyle changes” are small changes that happen slowly but consistently over time, and are easy to adopt as a new way of life, rather than for a designated period of time. Rather than trying to entirely cut out refined sugar for a month, opt for something small and easy, like swapping one soda for unsweetened tea per day, or eating egg whites in the morning instead of whole eggs. We’ve compiled a few healthy winter recipes to help jumpstart your healthy eating journey here.
Instead of starting with a weight lifting routine if you’ve never been in a gym before, try doing 5 chair squats and 5 countertop push ups, just 3 times a week. You can try these easy ways to get moving today if you’re looking for ideas!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’ve been more sedentary than you’d like in recent months or years, seek out an appointment with a Sports Chiropractor to evaluate your current physical state and develop a plan that will work for you. What exactly is a Sports Chiropractor? Read more HERE.
Once you’ve got one change integrated in (meaning, you’ve consistently done it for a week or two and no longer feel stressed about the change), try making a second small, easy change. In a few months, you’ll have made significant and lasting changes! You’ll see your diet improved and have worked your way into the gym in a healthy, enjoyable, and SUSTAINABLE way. It’s not about starting fast, it’s about STARTING, and sticking with it!
That’s why I put together the 15 Day Finish Strong Challenge. This simple calendar is designed to help you get your body and mind in motion right now, before the end of the year.
The 15 Day Challenge has 4 simple exercises per day, making it the perfect way to get moving and start integrating small, positive changes that you can easily stick to, no matter what kind of holiday chaos you come across.
The 15 Finish Strong Challenge calendar can be downloaded HERE, totally free of charge. Challenges are more fun when your friends and family join in, so don’t forget to share! Positive lifestyle changes are always easier and more successful with a solid support network.
No matter what your New Year’s resolutions are, now is the time to Finish Strong!