How To Actually Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions This Year
One thing never seems to change at the end of the year — New Year's resolutions. The practice of creating these resolutions started more than 4,000 years ago. The ancient Babylonians would make their version of a New Year’s resolution to their gods.
Today, we make promises to ourselves that we will lose weight, exercise more, or eat healthier. The problem with setting these resolutions is they tend to fail. Since we are used to them failing, it’s just accepted that they probably will be gone in a few weeks.
The U.S. News & World Report estimates about 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail, usually by around mid-February. The question is, what can you do differently this year to see success?
Why Do So Many Resolutions Fail?
The are many potential answers for why resolutions fail, but there are some common reasons:
The goal is unobtainable or too challenging.
The goal is too general.
The goal is not measurable.
There is no accountability.
There is no support system.
Your heart isn’t in it.
There is no plan.
Sometimes, it's simply that your state of mind isn’t right to make a change or you just can't break your bad habits. You don’t believe you’ll do it, so you eventually fail.
Some New Year’s resolutions like losing weight after 50 or maintaining weight after weight loss, are more challenging than others, too, and take some forethought. What can you do to make 2021 the year that you see your New Year’s resolution succeed?
Start By Thinking It Through
If you find yourself making the same resolution year after year, like following a low carb diet or going to the gym more, then the universe is trying to tell you something. Even if it’s a new goal this year, you still need to put some thought into it.
Ask yourself why this goal hasn't worked for you in the past and why do you want it to work now? Maybe you resolve to lose weight, and the reason is that you want to be healthier, or you are starting to experience age-related chronic problems like high blood pressure. Those are great reasons to want to lose weight, but what does that involve?
You can’t just wish weight away, so your resolution is too general. You have to consider what steps you must take and make that your resolution.
The goal has to be to eat healthy and exercise to lose that weight, but even that is too general. What does eat healthy mean? What kind of workouts are you planning to do? Once you sit down and think about what is involved in your resolution, you can figure out how to implement new habits to get there.
Be Realistic
It’s the most important thing to remember when setting your New Year’s resolution. Ask yourself if your resolutions consist of attainable goals. If you resolve to lose 50 pounds in the first two months of 2021, that isn’t a great action plan. You could, however, focus on changing your diet and lose some weight.
Being realistic also means understanding your body and what it can do. A 50-year old man needs to create a plan that is practical for his age. Maybe when he was 25, he could run 10 miles a day. But, now, 25 years later and 50 pounds heavier, is that still a realistic goal?
It might be with the right training, but it won’t happen overnight, and maybe it’s not the best choice for him. If you have joint problems like osteoarthritis, a low-impact exercise like bike riding might make more sense.
Make a Resolution You are Willing to Own
Make a resolution that is important to you. It needs to be something that you feel excited about because you want it. If you don’t, you’ll lose motivation before you see any change. Find your Big Why so you can remind yourself each day why you've set that specific goal.
Consider what is driving your goal? Do you want to lose weight for yourself to feel healthier? So you can live longer for your family? Or so you can achieve your bucket list?
Once you know what you want and why, along with what it will take to achieve it, what’s next?
Start Small and Build
If your resolution is a big one, break it down into a series of small goals to make it more realistic. Then you can focus on one goal at a time and feel a sense of accomplishment that will keep you motivated.
If exercise is part of your resolution, then walking each day is an excellent way to start, especially if trying to lose weight over 50 when it can be a challenge. Maybe, instead of making big changes to your diet, you start by eliminating sugar, junk food and processed carbohydrates. Once you see the results from that change, you’ll feel better and be able to create more challenges for yourself, like eating five cups of vegetables a day.
Track Your Progress
One of the most common recommendations you’ll see for making a successful New Year’s resolution is to pick something measurable. That’s where having an online health app like Mighty Health in your toolbox comes in handy.
The right app can help you track your diet and exercise, so you can see what’s working for you and what doesn’t. Look to see what other forms of low impact exercise might be right for you based on your age, weight, and physical health.
You can use the app to track what you're eating and you'll get support from a personal health coach who will help you create a plan that fits your schedule.
Get the Support You Need
Finally, maybe your past New Year’s resolutions didn’t work out because you didn’t have the right support system in place, starting with yourself. Did you push yourself too hard and get frustrated? Did you ensure you had the right tools to find success?
You should also look for support from others like family and friends. You can ask for professional support too from your healthcare provider.
Finding the necessary support and resources is also where the online health app Mighty Health comes in handy. You have the support of professionals and a community of people who understand the challenges you face as someone over 50.
The New Year is an excellent time to think about what you do better for yourself and your health. Check out Mighty Health today to get some ideas on how to be healthy in 2021.
