New Year… new you! It’s no secret that so many of us head into the New Year with bold plans to change a particular aspect of our lives. Whether you are wanting to shed those extra kilos, eat healthier or spend more time with the kids, most people set a New Year’s Resolution into place. There is nothing wrong with this! In fact, it’s a great thing to do. It means we are still searching to better ourselves and to do better, and this is a good thing. The problem is making it two weeks into the New Year and finding we have failed already, so giving up altogether. There’s no shame in failure – it happens to the best of us. Change takes time and we need to motivate ourselves to keep going to see those results.
Overcoming Fears and Excuses
The click over into a brand new year is a great opportunity to start fresh and once again tackle those goals. This is where the challenge comes in – how do you motivate yourself for this change? How do you stay on track and see results? It’s true that we are often full of fears and excuses when it comes to making changes, these include: not wanting to be uncomfortable, being too busy, being a perfectionist, not knowing how, fear of uncertainty, fear of change itself. These fears and excuses are all valid, but they shouldn’t hold you back from achieving your goals.
Here’s how you can overcome these fears and find the motivation for change:
- Be positive: it sounds simple, because it is. It’s true that we procrastinate the most when we are in a bad mood. On the other hand, happiness increases your productivity and makes you more successful. You need to be proud of each and every little achievement and to celebrate it, to keep yourself moving forward towards change. If you have one good day of making healthy eating choices, then reward yourself with a DIY facial, so your skin can feel as good as your body.
- Be accountable: one of the best things you can do is share your desire for change with those around you. This can seem scary at first. After all, if you don’t achieve it, you don’t want to let others down or feel judged by them. By finding at least one person who will hold you accountable for the change, it will give you that extra little nudge of motivation to keep you going.
- Surround yourself: along with finding people to hold you accountable, it is equally important to surround yourself with others going through a similar change themselves. You have the opportunity to create a support network where you can go for motivation, advice and a pick me up when you fall off track. You can also help others in their journey, which can be just as beneficial for your frame of mind.
- Start small: often, we feel overwhelmed with our goals when they are far too big. They become unachievable in our eyes, so we choose to give up without even trying. Save ourselves the pain of failure! Instead, set yourself small, achievable milestones on the road to change. For example, if you are hoping to eat healthier, don’t change your diet in a day. Start by swapping out one snack for a healthier version and work from there. You are more likely to stick with it in the long term.
- Find the help you need: set yourself up for success with change by making sure you have the right tools on hand to support you. If you are looking to lose weight, try adding in a supplement to aid in this, to give yourself the best chance for success.
- Regroup: this is perhaps one of the most important steps when it comes to achieving change. You want to be able to take the time out to regroup and refocus on your goal to help keep yourself on track. This can be as simple as a five-minute meditation in the car before picking up the kids, or relaxing in a quiet space with some essential oils around you to soothe your mind and body. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved and where to next to keep you going.
The most important thing to remember is that change takes time, and often comes with many setbacks along the way. Instead of letting these setbacks put your off course and giving up altogether, you need to push through. Using all the techniques above, you will have the right mindset and support system in place to give you the best chance at success. Make sure you use it and don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is just a few steps away from success.