5 Tips to keeping New Years performance resolutions
With the start of the new year comes New Year's resolutions. Commonly these tend to include resolutions around exercising – so let’s make promises to ourselves this year to form healthy habits that stick.
There are some easy ways you can set yourself on the path to success, and that includes being realistic with your performance expectations and goals.
Create a plan
Before you start with your new routine, structure yourself a plan that is both realistic and convenient based on your own schedule. Scheduling time into your day that is dedicated to exercise makes you more likely to stick to it. Even if you are exercising at home or on your own, do your best to keep to your time slot –if you went to a gym class, you wouldn’t bend time to fit in another episode on Netflix, so block the time out and commit!
Keep yourself accountable
Exercising with a friend or family member can help to keep you accountable to your plans. Being able to encourage each other can keep the determination up and it doubles up as social time. If exercising alone, finding a community (in person or online) of those who enjoy similar activities can help to give a motivational boost. Depending on your activity and your own goals, tracking your progress (whether that’s weight lifted, run distance or time, or points scored) can help you to physically see the improvements over time, increasing your desire to continue.
Take it easy
Think of your resolution as a lifelong commitment to your health rather than a short-term habit. You are much more likely to be successful and maintain your routine if you take it easy at the beginning and build it around your current fitness abilities. Just because someone else trains six days a week, it doesn’t mean that’s optimal –begin easy, keep it light and enjoyable –even a 15-minute walk a few days a week is a great place to start.
Be realistic
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously impractical and unachievable. Setting goals and targets can help to give you something to work towards, but make sure they suit you, your abilities and your lifestyle. Going from newbie runner to marathon is extremely daunting and unrealistic, so set a goal that is safe, manageable and achievable for your best chance of success.
Choose an exercise that you enjoy
When embarking on a new exercise routine, the biggest secret to success is taking part in exercise that you actually like to do. It may seem obvious, but participating in an enjoyable form of exercise leaves you significantly more likely to continue with it, and even look forward to it. One persons’ idea of fun is another's worst nightmare, so find something that excites you and it no longer becomes a chore.
When it comes to hitting your goals, the key is not to worry about what everyone else is doing. Everyone started somewhere, and comparison to others who will be at a different stage in their own journey can only dampen your perceived progress – just look to better yourself.
