Stick To It In 2018!

We're officially two weeks into January which means the lines at the gym are getting shorter and the lines at McDonalds are getting longer....I don't think I can describe the second week of January other than me currently sitting, in my gym clothes, eating my second ice cream sandwich of the night. 

It's the only time of year your friends invite you to the gym while you feel guilty for saying no because you just started Season 1 of Jane The Virgin, for the third time this week. 

It's also that wonderful time of year where you are scolded at for grabbing the fully fat ice cream instead of the low fat, no sugar frozen yogurt on the other side of the freezer section. Don't get me wrong, I am all for starting healthy habits and getting your life together in the new year but, can you not scold me for still being the lazy, pizza lover I was the year before?

Even though January is a big pain, I did try and get into the spirit of the New Year and came up with some resolutions of my own. My New Year’s resolutions consisted of magically transforming myself into a morning person and trying not to binge eat all the ice cream in the freezer while watching The Bachelor every Monday night. 

Now, I pride myself with not conforming to the generic "eat healthier" and "exercise more" resolutions but, can someone tell me why I would ever try to wake up before 10 a.m. when I don’t have to? They say it's a good time to be productive and I honestly don't know who these people are yet, I'm pretty sure they're lying. What am I supposed to be doing at 6 a.m. other than sleeping? Please, tell me.

Anyway, long story short that resolution didn't last long. And during The Bachelor all these girls are so beautiful how do you not divulge all your insecurities in a pint of Ben and Jerry's Double Fudge Brownie ice cream? 

Nevertheless, if you did make some realistic goals for yourself, you might want to try these tips to keep you motivated, inspired and ready to stick with them for the next 12 months. I wish you luck.

1. Start Small

Make sure your goals are attainable. If you go into the new year with a huge goal, like losing a large amount of weight, break that into smaller goals. For example, take it 15 pounds at a time. Celebrate that accomplishment and move on to the next 15 pound goal.  As you reach each individual milestone, it will hopefully encourage you to keep going. There's nothing worse than setting a huge goal and being discouraged because you haven't reached it yet. That's where you run into trouble...and the nearest Dunkin' Donuts.

2. Tell your friends and family

Let the people around you know so you can be kept accountable. It becomes a lot easier to slack off when it's just you who knows about it. They can also offer support as you're trying to better your life. If they know you're trying to eat healthy, they might not be inclined to keep chips and candy in the house or eat those types of foods around you. 

3. Be specific

The goals you set need to be measurable. If you want to work out more, what exactly is more?  Edit that goal and commit to working out twice or three times a week. If your goal is to save more money, how much? An extra $20 a week? $50 a week? Be specific so you know when you've reached that goal and can feel better about your progress. 

4. Stay positive

I cannot say this enough. Stay positive. Stay positive. Stay positive!! Keep a positive mindset when trying to attain these goals. I know, I know it's easier said than done. But, instead of thinking things like, "Am I done yet?" and "I'd rather be eating pizza right now.", what we all think of while running on treadmill, think things like, "I am one step closer to reaching my goal." and "I am going to feel so good after this workout." A positive mindset will keep you motivated and excited about what you are doing to better your life in the new year. A personal thing I do to stay positive is a positive quote of the day. This helps me focus on being optimistic every morning when reading my quote and gives me something to think of if I am feeling negative at any point during the day. So, my positive quote of the day for you is, "Strive for progress not perfection". It's one of my favorites and is something that is really helpful to focus on when trying to improve some aspect of your life.

I hope your sticking to your 2018 resolutions and, if not, I hope these tips will help you get back on track. I wish you all luck and make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any upcoming posts!

xoxo

Olivia Shea