How to boss your new year's resolution

Dare we say it, but the partying is over, and we have just been slapped in the face by the J word. Yes, January is here. And to make it worse, 2019 has brought us a five-week month. Your bank account is dry, you’ve had the hangover from hell and it’s back to work (well, for most of us). To top it off your friend then asks, “so what’s your New Year’s resolution?”. Though it’s not all doom and gloom. The team here at Peppersmith have been working on some pointers to help you set a realistic New Year’s resolution and how to stick to it in 2019.

Set goals and be realistic

Setting goals is all about you. What do you want to achieve in 2019? Doing this will help to give your New Year’s resolution a sense of purpose. But make sure to be realistic about the type of goals and the number of goals you set. If you lead a busy lifestyle, it would be wise to set one New Year’s resolution rather than a dozen. You will also feel a greater sense of achievement if you conquer one goal rather than failing several. Remember, less is more.

Be specific

"New Year new me" just won’t cut it any longer. Think about, then write down the necessary steps you will need to take to achieve your resolution goals. If your goal is to eat more healthily, be sure to make it actionable by jotting down what types of food you will cut down on and what foods you will add to your diet. This might involve swapping out cans of fizzy drink for a fresh smoothie. Speaking of smoothies, there’s a pretty yummy recipe up on our Vegmas post.

Take action

“I’ll start tomorrow” is a phrase known to all of us. But procrastination is the number one factor that will stop you in your tracks from sticking to your New Year’s resolution. The only force between you and achieving your goal is motivation. Getting yourself into a positive mindset is key and there are many ways of doing this. Meditation apps like Headspace are great for mental respite. Sometimes all it takes is a jog up and down the stairs or drinking a big glass of water.

Seek support

See what goals your family and friends have set, then try to surround yourself with those who have set similar goals. If your goal is to increase your fitness but you don’t want to break the bank, find a running buddy. This is a great way to keep yourself motivated and to stay on task. Or perhaps your 2019 goal is to cut down on your shopping habits. If you have a friend you are always popping out the shops with, tell them what your goal is and ask if you can do something else together. Seeking this support means you are way more unlikely to be seen strutting down your local high street.

Evaluate

Revisit your goal (or goals) once a week. By breaking up your achievements into smaller stages can be a great motivating factor to stay on track. Reward yourself with a treat that means something to you. Start off with big rewards then gradually fizzle them out. Eventually, you won’t even consider your goal to be a chore and it will be embedded into your everyday life.

Team Peppersmith

If you'd like to know what the team at Peppersmith are getting up to this January, here are a few of our New Year's resolutions. If you can't tell, we love fitness. Hopefully we can inject a little inspiration into you guys. Comment yours below if you fancy sharing, we'd love to hear them.

Mike – To become more aquatic and start some swimming lessons

Sasha – To run home from work at least once a week

Cisem – To do 20 minutes of ab workouts every evening

El – To do 30 minutes of yoga, three times a week