Year Ahead Series 2017 | Practical Ways to Keep Your Health Resolutions

I feel like I've packed a ton of info into these past few blog posts so I hope it hasn't been too overwhelming. I don't want any of this stuff to feel like pressure from one more source telling you to be anything more than you are. My intention is to be as helpful as I can be to as many people as possible, with the passion I have for eating well. Thanks for sticking with me!

Today, I want to talk about those health resolutions that we all make at the beginning of the year. At some point you've probably found yourself in January and thought "I'm going to start running." Or, "I'm going to go to the gym more." Or, "I'm going to eat healthier."

Me, too.

And then we get to the end of January and we've lost all momentum and we just feel crappy about yet another resolution that's fallen by the wayside.

What happens a lot is that even though we have the best intentions, we fail to set our goals in the right way, which hinders us from reaching them.

I've learned a lot about good goal setting practices this year from some super smart people, and I want to translate what I've learned in to into how to keep those healthy New Year's resolutions.

You may not have even used the term resolution...

Maybe you're one of those, "Oh, New Year's resolutions are so cliche... I'm just going to pick a word or "set an intention" for the year" people. Ok, cool. Whatever you call it, if you want it to work out, you've got to set the right foundation.

We are setting out to make this our healthiest year as a married couple, and I'll illustrate some of the points below using that as an example.

1. Make it specific.

In order to make a goal specific, you need to incorporate not only what it is, but all the exact details that will be involved in making your life look the way you want it to look at the end of the year. If this involves other people, make sure they're included in the conversation and also in the goal as it is written out for you to see. Make sure it also makes note of the resources that will be required to get you there.

So for us, the goal is "To make this our healthiest year as a married couple by making our fitness and diet a priority so that we can set a great example for our daughters and be generally happier human beings." We love hiking and yoga and smoothies. We like binging Netflix shows and eating ice cream. I'd rather do more what we love over what we like.

2. Break it down into bite-sized pieces.

What will have to be true in order for you to complete your goal? Will you have to have lost 20 lbs? Will you have to be able to run a 10K? Use this information to work backwards, setting your bite-sized goals along the way. Working backwards is a great strategy because all you have to do is simple math to figure out what it'll take. Want to meet your goal faster? Do the math. It'll be hard to ignore the progress that can be made in just one measly week when it's written out as a PLAN.

If your goal doesn't look like something you can exactly "complete", be encouraged -- it can still be broken down into smaller, easily digestible parts. Having action steps you can cross off as you go will motivate you to keep going! Nothing is a better catalyst for success than the feeling of success, itself.

Our mini goals, for instance, are:

Attending three yoga classes a week

Exercising at least once a day on weekdays

Significantly cutting carbs and increasing protein intake by meal planning accordingly

Buying ingredients for one smoothie recipe per week and ensuring the ingredients are used up every week

Just keep this in mind:

Baby steps are okay.

Little by little progress is okay.

Finally, don't set out for perfection on Day One. That's impossible. And even if you somehow manage, it won't be sustainable. If you set an unrealistic expectation for yourself and then don't reach it, all you'll do is beat yourself up. Beating ourselves up is a destructive behavior and only ever leads to falling back into the same bad habits. Shoot for progress over perfection.

3. Give yourself a deadline.

Goals that have a definite end (like losing a specific amount of weight or saving up a certain amount of money) have to have a deadline. It motivates you to get it done the same way deadlines at work and in other areas of life do.

When it comes to health, the biggest thing to remember here is to not see the point at which you've reached the goal (like weight loss, or, for us, getting to the end of our Heathiest Year as a Married Couple) as The End. Once you've reached that point, that's the best time to reevaluate and look ahead once again. That's how your health goals turn into your lifestyle.

4. Make it deep.

Your goals must come from a deeply rooted place. If your motivation for wanting to lose 20 pounds is to look better in your clothes, you're likely setting yourself for disappointment. If we're determining our level of satisfaction with our bodies based on how we look, we'll never be satisfied because there's always a celebrity or model that's got a more "ideal" appearance in the world's eyes. But if the goal to lose 20 pounds is rooted in a longing to be able to feel more confident standing naked in front of your husband, it's tied to something deeper within you -- your marriage. Use that emotional pull to your advantage. Women (moms, especially) have a hard time doing for themselves but are always so eager to do for others. That's perfectly okay in this instance -- the result is YOU getting a better body that will give you more confidence ALL THE TIME (not just in front of him).

5. Write it down.

For real. Write that specific, deeply-rooted, time-sensitive goal down on paper and put it up somewhere that you'll see it. Often. Tape it to the mirror. Clip it to the front of your planner. Sticky note it to your computer screen. Make it your phone background. Then get to it!

---

I'll see you back here tomorrow morning for the final Year Ahead post and my big huge announcement! Until then, join the conversation by commenting below, on Facebook, or on Instagram.

There's still time to enter the Garden Planning giveaway for the book Food In Jars and my favorite seed packets! Click the image below to enter now!