4 Non-Resolution Tips for a Better 2022
2021 is coming to an end and with it, the ambitions of making 2022 a better year. Goals usually consist of going to the gym every day, eating healthier, getting on a diet. You know the stats when it comes to the typical New Year resolutions. It ain’t good. Less than 8% of individuals actually stick with their new resolutions.
Still, you know you want to change something to better your health. How and what should you do to make it happen and really stick to it?
We propose that you take a different approach to getting healthier in 2022 and beyond.
Give yourself the gift of time. Instead of making it a goal to lose weight, start by making it a goal to take time to yourself. Maybe you like gardening or dancing or yoga or walking. Resolve to do those things that make you feel positive and energized – this is YOU time. Preplan those days. Maybe you focus on gardening activities two Satrudays a month. You sign up for a dancing or yoga class every Wednesday. Set a date for those activities. And as it happens, a side effect of these type of activities is better fitness and good heart health!
Make small changes to your eating. Creating a better eating routine takes time. It won’t work to try and overhaul your entire eating on day one. Let’s say you like to drinking sodas. The goal is to drink one less soda drink a week. You want to eat better? Then you can start with your lunch routine for example. Instead of taking something away, you add something with color either some fruit or vegetables to your plate. And remember – carbs are not the enemy! These changes will compound to where you are naturally making different, better for you choices.
Invest in your health. We buy a lot of things to make us happy whether it’s something you need to survive or a nice thing to have. One day out of the month instead of buying a nice to have thing, you use those funds to hire a coach to help you with your fitness. This can be a personal trainer or going to a dance class or a yoga class – this is hiring a coach to help you get started or to keep going. With this strategy, it can be a onetime thing or a pack of dance classes.
Commit to commit. Making a lifestyle change takes practice. It takes consistency. It takes everyday. There are 365 days in a year so whatever you do, you have to be able to keep it up for 365 days to improve your health. That means you have 365 opportunities to build a healthy lifestyle. There will be setbacks and deviations but with 365 days, you will have plenty of opportunities to keep trying. So keep trying. Start with doing that thing once a week for a whole month. Then slowly build on that.
To create a healthy lifestyle, the best chance of success is doing the things you like to do. You don’t need to go to the gym if you don’t already go, or go running if you’ve not been running, or get on restrictive diet. Find those things that make you move and groove. Those are the things you will be able to build on year-round and help you have a better quality of life.
