Tips to Help Turn Your New Year’s Resolutions into a Lifestyle Change

According to US News, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. Now that we are one full week into the new year, we thought we could offer some tips to help you stick to your new year’s resolutions and make them a lifestyle change instead of a temporary resolution.

1. Start small. It’s important that you make resolutions that you can keep. Making unrealistic resolutions can make it harder for you to convert those resolutions into a lifestyle. A good example of this is if your resolution is to exercise more, start with scheduling 2-3 days a week at the gym, as you conquer that, add more days.

2. Be specific. Develop a specific action plan for change and map out a strategy. Setting vague goals can make it that much harder to feel like you are achieving those goals. If your aim is to lose weight, set a specific number of pounds you wish to lose.

3. Find a buddy. Having a friend or family member to join you along the way can serve as a great form of encouragement and accountability. Plus having someone to share your accomplishments with can make things more fun!

4. Set benchmarks and track your progress. Setting benchmarks along the way can help you find little ways to reward yourself as you reach those benchmarks. Track your progress to know when you have met those benchmarks, it can make your larger goal feel much more attainable.

5. Don’t focus on how far you have to go, focus on how far you have come. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and eventually give up when focusing on how far you have to go. Instead focus on small changes you have made to build off of and use as momentum to keep going.