Happy New Year from Pete’s Paleo!
Wow, it’s hard to believe that it’s January 1st…the start of a new year! This is also the time when many of us make New Years Resolutions. Are you one of them? Whether you want to start off the new year with a new goal or you like to set goals year round, there are a few things you’ll need to do in order to set yourself up for success and increase your chances of achieving them. Review these 5 tips below and make 2014 the year that you accomplish your goals!1. Make Your Goal SMART.
Set a goal that is...
- Specific
- Measurable/Meaningful
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Trackable/has a Time frame
For instance, if your goal is “I am going to go to bed before 11pm at least 4 nights per week”, that will have a greater chance of success than if your goal is “I am going to go to bed earlier” – you see the difference? Or instead of “I want to get in shape”, a better goal would be “I am going to go to the gym at least 3 days per week.”
2. Write it Down.
This sets the process in motion and also makes it easier for you to revisit and review your goal more frequently. If you want to take your commitment online, there are a lot of goal setting and tracking sites to help. I like Lifetick and StickK.
Are you more of an app person? Here are a couple of my favorite apps that help track your behaviors to help you form healthy habits: Way of Life...The Ultimate Habit Building App (iPhone) and Simple Habits HD - Daily Habit Tracker (iPhone & iPad)
3. Break Down Big Goals into Smaller Ones.
This makes even the most lofty of goals seem less overwhelming and more attainable. If you want to accomplish something 2 years from now, setting short-term goals (every few weeks or months) will help keep you motivated.
4. Get Clear on your WHY.
Get clear on your motivation and stay connected to it because inevitably there will be times when you want to give up. If you don’t know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, staying the course will be very difficult. Ask yourself why you want to accomplish this goal. What will happen if you do it? What will it cost you if you don’t? Really dig deep and get clear on your goal as a whole in order to maintain focus and motivation throughout your journey.
5. Select a Goal You Actually WANT to Accomplish.
Ask yourself how badly you want to accomplish your goal. You have to really want it so you'll be willing to do the work for it. So many of us have the “quick fix” or “instant gratification” mentality that we don’t want to do the work. Understand now that you might not see results right away and you might not enjoy every moment of this process. For instance, the first few days of a new exercise regimen or eating program might, in fact, feel like one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do. You might feel frustrated, get upset, and you might want to give up. But reconnecting with #4 (your motivation, results, and consequences) and combining that with the understanding that this process is not going to be easy all the time and might require a lot of effort or even take you out of your comfort zone, is key. When you want something badly enough, you'll do what it takes to make it happen.
Want to Clean Up Your Eating in 2014?
If your goal is along the lines of getting healthier, adopting a Paleo diet (or giving gluten-free and/or dairy-free a try), feeling less bloated, or losing weight, check out our
Ultimate 30 Day Healthy Eating Package.
Sign up anytime by January 6th (end of day by midnight) and you'll receive your first delivery of healthy goodies on January 9th or 10th (depending on your location).Click Here for more information and to sign up!
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