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Set intentions not resolutions!

When it comes to New Years resolutions, people tend to fall into one of two categories: You either think they're great. New start. New chapter. A go get em tiger kind of attitude. OR you think they're a waste of time. Destined to fail. No point. Why bother?

I've been both. But in recent years, I've come to the conclusion that I rather like them. Data shows that I'm not on my own. According to a recent YouGov survey, "35% of people who made resolutions managed to stick to all of their goals, and 50% of people managed to keep some of their resolutions." So, whilst the cynical amongst you will be thinking, there we go, they don't work. Others among us see that as a lot of positive changes being made and worth setting.

I love goals. I think I may drive my personal training clients mad with my goal setting and regularly asking what they would like to achieve. The thing is, if we're not careful, we end up meandering along with every day the same, slipping into bad habits and not doing a great deal for ourselves. So, I'll be asking everyone again in the New Year, what are we trying to achieve? What do you want?

When it comes to resolutions, they generally fall into either an avoidance goal or an approach goal. If you choose an approach goal, you are probably more likely to be successful. So, ask yourself this: if you have failed at resolutions in the past, were they avoidance or approach?

Avoidance, as the name suggests, means that you're going to cut out something. No more sweets / wine / bread.

Approach goals don't involve taking something away. Go for a swim twice per week / walk 8,000 steps per day / read 10 pages of a book per day / swap your wine for soda.

How to be successful in your New Year resolutions,

• Make it the right resolution for you. It needs to mean something to you. Don't make a resolution based on something that society/someone else thinks you should be doing. You need to want this cos it's going to get tough at times.
• Be specific — don't be too vague. What do you want and when do you want it?
• Be able to measure what you're doing: How will you know you're getting closer? Take pictures / track / write in a journal. Having some way of looking at what you have achieved, even as simple as a tick on the calendar, can be a motivator.
• Make it achievable - If your goal is BIG then break it down into smaller chunks. It will keep you motivated.
• Be realistic about what you can achieve. I'm not going to suddenly make the Olympics no matter how much I run, nor am I going to look like a super model, so my goals should not be to achieve these things!!
• Give it a deadline. I will achieve........... by ...........
• Make yourself a plan using points 2 — 6! Making a resolution and writing it in your best handwriting in your new journal is great, but it's not going to happen on its own. What are you going to do to make it happen?

Goal: I'm going to walk more. Oooh, how very vague!

Frame it: I'm going to increase my daily steps from 5,000 per day to 8,000 per day.

How: I'm going to walk to work instead of getting the bus.

Know what your barriers are: Urgh, I hate getting up in the mornings. Ok, so bedtime needs to be a bit earlier to make getting up a bit easier.

Goal: I'm going to start running

Frame it: I'm going to download the couch to 5k app. I'm going to commit to 3 x per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

You've got this!

• Be consistent. Rome wasn't built in a day. Concentrate on what you need to do one day at a time.
• But don't be too rigid. You know yourself. You probably know your obstacles, so allow for a bit of flexibility.
• Don't give up at the first sign of trouble. We're here for the long haul. No one said it was going to be easy.
• Don't look too far ahead. If your resolution is a big one, this can be quite overwhelming. Look at what you have achieved already and not how much further you have to go.
• Don't beat yourself up if you slip up. You're human. You might be trying to change a habit that's been with you for a long time, so dust yourself off and get back on it.
• Get some help. Don't keep your resolution a secret. Accountability can work wonders! A secret resolution is easy to give up on. It's not quite as easy if you've told the world,....ok maybe not the world, but one or two people would be good!
• Beware the saboteurs. Most friends and family will be supportive of your goals. Especially if it's likely to improve your health and happiness. But some people will kick back when you try to make some positive changes. It's mostly not done out of malice, and quite often people don't realise they're doing it. For some, it highlights something that perhaps they should be doing for themselves. For others, it feels like a rejection because you are no longer engaging in a behaviour with them that you always had before. Don't justify yourself, but having a "script" ready so you can respond in a non-emotional way can be helpful.
• Be kind to yourself. Would you talk to anyone else the way you're talking to yourself? Nope. Thought not. So, pack it in!!

If you find resolutions helpful, then ignore the naysayers. Go ahead, make the resolution and if you need someone to hold you to account, you know where I am!