If we had to ask most people what their New Year’s Resolutions are, health would be a very common one at the top of the list. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle, sleep better, reduce stress or cut out junk food, we all want to look better and feel really good in our bodies. But just saying you want to be healthier isn’t the full picture – you actually have to get specific so that you can really drill those goals down to daily actions. The reason so many people struggle to achieve their New Year’s Resolution is really not having a good enough plan, so if you want to actually end the year a healthier version of yourself, here are some tips to help you along.
Aim for a Long-Term Goal
The purpose of a New Year’s Resolution isn’t to make a short-term change and then go back to your old habits within three months, it’s to actually change your daily routine or habits for the better. Instead of taking something on for just this month, consider a resolution that allows you to shift to a healthier and more productive version of yourself forever. That means that you have to opt for things that are actually sustainable. The biggest mistake people make is committing to such a significant change that they can’t sustain it in the long term. As a result, two months in, you will struggle to keep up with what you committed to. The better approach is to think of what you can still do 4 months, 6 months and 11 months in. That way you’ll be able to sustain the habit until it’s your lifestyle and it doesn’t feel like you’re putting forth a lot of effort to keep doing it. A health program needs to go from something you have to remind yourself to do to something you do automatically.
Think of Your Entire Being
If you’re considering working on your health, it’s very important to make sure you’re committing to overall health. True health is holistic, it isn’t just one thing or the other. If you’re going to focus on fitness, you also need to pay attention to your mental health. If you want to have healthier skin, you shouldn’t neglect your digestive health. If you’re going to prioritize your sleep, then you also have to care for your dental health. According to a Rio Rancho dentist, “every aspect of your body is interconnected – your teeth are impacted by your diet, and your sleep impacts what you eat, and what you eat impacts your fitness. In order to have all your health cylinders firing – it’s important to not have a singular area of focus, but rather to care for the whole body and whole being.”
Track Your Activities
It’s hard to improve something if you aren’t actually tracking how well you’re doing it. If you want to accomplish your health goals this year then you have to put in place measures that actually give you detailed information so you know if you need to make any tweaks or changes along the way. There are many ways for you to track your activity, an easy thing to do is to invest in a fitness tracking watch. These devices allow us to track everything from calories and steps to sleep and stress, so whatever health objective you’re trying to achieve, having a watch can really help you in your goal. You don’t have to buy something incredibly expensive, you can buy something really affordable that will be incredibly useful in trying to achieve your goals. Another way to track your success with your health goals is to get your blood tested regularly because this can help with deeper checks. Don’t hesitate to make this investment, it will make everything easier.
Wanting to be healthier is a noble goal, and a great plan to have at the beginning of the new year, but there’s a reason why so many people struggle to maintain their resolutions after the first quarter of the year. It’s important to not just have a resolution, but to actually have a solid plan that will govern what you’re going to be doing every single day. If you don’t have a plan, it’s really hard to change your habits and then to turn those habits into what you do naturally. The truth is, motivation, though helpful, isn’t enough to fuel your goal for better health. You need to commit to something sustainable, focus on the full picture of health and also track everything.
