I Will Not be Setting a New Years Resolution & Here's Why I Don't Think You Should Either.
When it comes to New Year's resolutions, people go to extremes, which may be doing more harm than good.
Now before you get all up in arms, I am 100% about setting goals and working towards them. I have been fascinated by mindset, so here are helpful tips on how to make movement & mindset a habit by setting obtainable goals for 2021.
“New Years’ Resolutions can come with a negative stigma. Did you know that (according to the University of Scranton) 92% percent of people who set New Year’s Resolutions NEVER achieve them?”
addressing the “DO NOTS” before the DOs
So you do not bite off more than you can chew and eventually go catatonic.
Make specific and challenging goals but not too challenging. More times than not, people set vague goals. "I want to lose 20lbs," or "I want to get healthier." Both could be great goals, but you can't track them. Break these goals down. If 20lbs is a safe goal for you, how will you do it daily or weekly?
For example, eliminating soda consumption starts by limiting the number of soda beverages per week and committing to a certain # of workouts a week. That way, you have daily to-do's and show up every day to get closer to your goals.
Do NOT multitask. We wear "busy" as a badge of honor, but honestly, it's not doing us any favors. When we multitask, we end up lowering our quality of work. As a business owner and mom, I am on my phone too much. (I am a work in progress!) When I'm with my kids and answering messages on my phone, my kids feel I'm not present, and the person at the end of the message isn't getting my best self—a lose-lose scenario.
Be intentional with your time. Start by setting a timer for work tasks, until that alarm goes off and do nothing except the task at hand. When that time is done, go onto the next, and when it's time with the family, it's phone down.
Now what we should be doing:
Create a GOAL: Attach a Feeling to it. How do you think this goal will make you feel? What will this goal bring to your life? We have spent our lifetime associating weight loss with happiness or success when, in reality, what will happen when we wake up, and one day the scale says that #? Will our kids suddenly listen? Will our jobs become less stressful? NOPE.
So ask yourself to dig deeper. What do you think you will feel when you hit your goal. Happier? Proud? Confident? More energized? Now show up and remind yourself of that feeling every time you're unmotivated.
Big Goals: Small Actions. This is THE GAME CHANGER and has been breadcrumbed throughout all the points above. Sometimes we set some huge goals (which I am DOWN FOR - go big or go home, right?), but instead of motivating us, they scare us. Here's why; the gap from where we currently are to where we want to be too big. Break it down into tangible action items. This way, you feel accomplished more frequently than overwhelmed.
Want to be more organized? Spend 5 mins at the beginning of every day clearing your inbox and kitchen counter.
Want to start a workout routine?- Set an appointment in your calendar and show up.
Want to eat healthier? Find three new recipes a week and try them out with the family.
It sounds simple enough right now, but let's bring it back to fitness.
Goal-setting in this area can bleed into all aspects of life, and truthfully the start can be the hardest part.
Make Exercise a Habit. Only do what you enjoy. If you haven't found what you enjoin doing, you will not look forward to doing it. There are various options (Yoga, Pilates, Strength, Dance, Cardio, Barre, Bike riding, etc.) Try things out until something clicks - or ask a professional.
Find an accountability partner or community with like-minded people. Sharing your goals with your circle because you're going to want their support, and as a bonus, you may find someone who also wants to establish similar healthy habits. Whatever gets ya moving is a-ok in my book, and if you talk yourself into showing up every day, eventually, you may want to start showing up.
Address the distractions/obstacles. Can't run without tunes? Make sure your playlist is up and ready. Know the kids will take over every workout? Set that alarm 30 mins earlier, then they wake up for some quiet alone time. Addressing these things before you're in the moment will stop silly excuses from getting in the way of your goals.
Put some skin in the game. If you're anything like me, you hate to waste money. By putting a financial commitment towards your workout goal like a membership fee, you have now invested money in this routine and no one likes wasting money.
Want to start smaller? Tell a friend or your significant other your workout/nutrition goal for the week, and if you don't stick it, you pay them $10. It seems silly, but it works.
There you have it! My tips on how to set your goals and how to make exercise a habit. Now go out there and start moving and remember WHY you're doing this - to become the best possible version of YOU and FEEL good. I'd love to hear what you come up with. Be sure to tag me on IG @mrsbeckyparker!
Becky Parker is a Pilates and Barre certified fitness instructor and Virtual Wellness Coach. After making the transition from Digital Advertising in 2012 she decided to follow her passions in the fitness field while empowering people (in and out of the studio) to become the best versions of themselves - physically and mentally. In addition to Private Pilates sessions and class times, you can also work with Becky in her virtual bootcamps - to learn more head to: