Diet

Many people often set an idealistic list of New Year’s resolutions that may be a struggle to follow through with which can often lead them to give up altogether shortly after weeks of trying. These feelings of despair or hopelessness set in way too quickly leaving you to feel unmotivated to achieve your newly set resolutions.  Have you felt, “This is too hard or I don’t want to do this anymore?”  You may be going through ‘mad-resolutions syndrome,’ a term I call out to folks who have set the bar for themselves so high that it often leads to feelings of giving up, because the goals that the person set for themselves did not realistically fit their current ability to achieve them. For example, say you set a New Year’s resolution to walk more, so you start walking three miles in your first week, then in the second week, you raise the bar for yourself to six miles, so by the time you reach the third or fourth week, you’re up to walking twelve miles or more, but then you find out you’ve developed plantar fasciitis on your right foot. You go to your doctor and he tells you you’ve now injured your foot and have to stop walking to allow it to heal. You now feel bummed, “What? I can’t walk anymore now? Argh!”  Though it is good to set high standards for your New Year’s resolutions, they must be realistic and well planned out to avoid setting yourself up for an interruption that may limit or prevent you from achieving your resolution success.

Most people usually don’t think about asking for help when they set forth to accomplish their resolutions, because they believe they can handle it by themselves. Thoughts like, “I can do this by myself,” I don’t need anybody’s help,” or “This is easy-peasy for me just watch me” can set in after you’ve complied your resolutions list, and for some people these thoughts reign true where they move forward on their own alone.  Others may find it more helpful and encouraging to have someone who is able to help them offer their time and guidance so that they don’t feel all alone. Have you considered asking a reliable friend, relative, or professional for their time or advice? A friend can offer support and encouragement, as well as a relative could. A professional can offer you wise advice and guidance to help you steer in the right direction and support you through the process of achieving success with the resolutions you desire and wish to complete. It is often said that with the help of others, their genuine love, care, support, encouragement, and wise counsel can help you with setting yourself up for success and keep you running the whole year through with a greater enthusiasm. When we know people care about us and take the time to help, we can do greater things together than apart. Set yourself up for success to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by asking for help.

“Fun? I can have fun completing my New Year’s resolutions? How is that possible? I don’t know how I can have fun putting myself through more exercise, changing my eating habits, or even changing any bad habits that I have for that matter!”  Often times on New Year’s Day people set their resolutions, start them the same day with good intentions, but quickly lose attraction to them, because they feel bored or unmotivated to keep them. Feelings like, “What am I doing this for? This is torture! I’m not enjoying this anymore, and I’m not doing this anymore!” can overwhelm you to the point of wanting to quit. So what’s missing? Fun! Enjoyment! Happiness! Have you included how to have fun completing your resolutions or have you set yourself up for gloom and doom from the start? News flash! You can have fun while learning and going through the process of resolution success. You can also give yourself wiggle room for some days, a day of rest, and not set strict guidelines or expiration dates. Remember you’re human and know yourself, what does not work for you and what motivates you. If you aim for the stars and suffer all the way on your voyage you’ll probably avoid travelling to the stars ever again. Instead, aim for the earth so you’ll have a better chance of staying grounded while having fun with your resolution voyage and stopping to-smell-the-roses- on your way.