New Year Encouragement
By Sarah Rhodes
Well,
here we are, a couple of weeks in to a new year and I’m willing to bet that many
of you made resolutions to eat more healthily,
lose weight, get fitter, stop smoking .....The list is endless! So, how are you
getting on? Are you still motivated? Or have you changed, modified or even
given up already?
Wherever
you are in your New Year achievements, here are some tips to help things
along...
Revisit
your original resolution
Is it phrased
positively?
Instead
of ‘losing’ weight, how about becoming slimmer; instead of ‘stopping‘ smoking
how about becoming a non-smoker. Small
changes in language can have a significant effect on your motivation. Instead of focusing on what you’re missing
out on, it re-focuses on what you are going to achieve.
Is
your resolution SMART?
Specific Make your goal specific rather than too general.
This means the goal is clear and unambiguous; ‘I want to fit in to a size X’ is specific,
whereas ‘I want to be slimmer’ is general. You could slim down by only 1 or 2 pounds and technically you have
achieved the general ‘I want to be slimmer’ which is fine if that is all you
wanted but most people with a weight goal want to slim down by considerably
more than that!
Measurable It is important to have an
indicator of progress towards your goal.
It’s very easy to forget where you started and therefore how much you
have achieved if you don’t have some sort of measure. Record where your
starting point is, for example, how long does it take you to run/walk a mile,
then regularly measure your progress.
Depending on your goal you may want weekly/fortnightly or maybe monthly
measures to check your progress. This
can help enormously with motivation as you see small steps to your goal so you
know you are heading in the right direction!
Achievable Goals, whilst
challenging, must be achievable. If you set a goal to lose 2stone in a
week it is unlikely, not to mention very
unhealthy, that you will achieve that. You can still have an overall goal of 2 stone but set mini goals of 1-2
lb a week. This is not only achievable
but also a very healthy and sustainable way to slim down.
Realistic/Relevant Your goal must be realistic. Similar to achievable, there is no point in
setting a goal to be a premiership footballer if you are already 40yrs old and
have never played professionally! It isn’t realistically going to happen. So have a look at your resolution, is it
actually possible? Another unrealistic example
would be resolving to never eat chocolate again even though it’s your
favourite food this could be difficult to stick to. Instead you could opt for
something more realistic, such as only having one small bar a week.
Is your resolution SMART?
Specific Make your goal specific rather than too general. This means the goal is clear and unambiguous; ‘I want to fit in to a size X’ is specific, whereas ‘I want to be slimmer’ is general. You could slim down by only 1 or 2 pounds and technically you have achieved the general ‘I want to be slimmer’ which is fine if that is all you wanted but most people with a weight goal want to slim down by considerably more than that!
Measurable It is important to have an indicator of progress towards your goal. It’s very easy to forget where you started and therefore how much you have achieved if you don’t have some sort of measure. Record where your starting point is, for example, how long does it take you to run/walk a mile, then regularly measure your progress. Depending on your goal you may want weekly/fortnightly or maybe monthly measures to check your progress. This can help enormously with motivation as you see small steps to your goal so you know you are heading in the right direction!
Achievable Goals, whilst challenging, must be achievable. If you set a goal to lose 2stone in a week it is unlikely, not to mention very unhealthy, that you will achieve that. You can still have an overall goal of 2 stone but set mini goals of 1-2 lb a week. This is not only achievable but also a very healthy and sustainable way to slim down.
Realistic/Relevant Your goal must be realistic. Similar to achievable, there is no point in setting a goal to be a premiership footballer if you are already 40yrs old and have never played professionally! It isn’t realistically going to happen. So have a look at your resolution, is it actually possible? Another unrealistic example would be resolving to never eat chocolate again even though it’s your favourite food this could be difficult to stick to. Instead you could opt for something more realistic, such as only having one small bar a week.
Goals
should also be relevant to you. Why is
this goal important to you? What will it give you? If you can’t think of an answer to those
questions you are unlikely to stick at it as what’s the point?!
Time-bound It is good to have a target date for achieving your goal. A commitment to a deadline helps you to focus
your efforts. You could link it to an event to help your motivation. A friend’s wedding or a holiday are good
motivators to slim down and tone up. Training for a 5k charity run in 9 months time is a good target
too. Again make sure the timescales you’re
aiming for are realistic and achievable. It can also help to set small, short term goals, what can I achieve in a
week? What can I achieve in a month? What can I achieve in 6 months? And celebrate each milestone with an appropriate
reward, there is no point in rewarding yourself with a big cream cake if you’ve
met your monthly weight loss target, why not treat yourself to a massage
instead.
Stay Positive and Be Your Own
Best Supporter
If
you have a lapse it doesn’t mean you’ve failed, focus on what you have achieved
so far, the chances are you aren’t back at square one so pick yourself up and
carry on. Notice the successes, however small.
Encourage yourself and do your best each day.
Stay Positive and Be Your Own Best Supporter
If you have a lapse it doesn’t mean you’ve failed, focus on what you have achieved so far, the chances are you aren’t back at square one so pick yourself up and carry on. Notice the successes, however small. Encourage yourself and do your best each day.
Get Plenty of Sleep
If you are sleep deprived, your
resolve will not be as strong and you won’t have as much energy to stay
motivated
Enjoy It!
Make it fun, do it with a friend, give yourself things to look forward to every step of the way.
Stick With It!
It takes approximately 21 days
for a new activity to become a habit and about 6 months for it to become part
of your personality.
Enjoy It!
Make it fun, do it with a friend, give yourself things to look forward to every step of the way.
Stick With It!
It takes approximately 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and about 6 months for it to become part of your personality.
Remember
a resolution can be made at any time of year so if you feel you have lost
momentum, just start again!
If you
feel you need some extra support, I can help you. My name is Sarah Rhodes and I am a
Hypnotherapist based at Bare Health in Congleton. I work with both Hypnotherapy and NLP to
promote wellbeing and personal development using positive messages and
experiences. My goal is to empower you
so that you may access, and draw on, your own resourcefulness to enable you to achieve
your goal and be the best you can be.
Appointments
are available at Bare Health on 01260 408 413
For
further information please
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