How to Set Yourself up for Success and Make Lasting Change
While this isn’t breaking news, it is worthy of repeating: small changes last a lifetime. It is mid-February and many New Year’s resolutions have likely been thrown to the wayside and not for lack of heart or willpower. How many people do you know went from couch potato to epitome-of-health in one month? Zero, right? How many people do you know lost weight or started working out and kept it up? Quite a few? It makes sense.
If you’ve recently given-up on a goal, ask yourself if you set yourself up for success in the first place? Today is as good of a day as any to start again and succeed.
First, forgive and let go. You didn’t go to the gym six days a week like you said you would? Your eating has been less than stellar? Accept that it is okay; the past is the past. Sweeping changes are not easy and rarely sustainable.
Next, learn from your experiences. Take the time to consider what worked and what didn’t. Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have time to go to the gym six days a week you can either make time or accept the facts and make the most of the time that you have. Don’t wait for life to change for you; it won’t. You will be successful if you are truthful and realistic in your goal setting.
Last, set small goals and big ones too. You have to know what you are working toward in the long run but realize that small changes are what will get you there. For example, you might decide to start by going to the gym three days a week because it is what your schedule will allow for, and you are going to fill half of your plate with vegetables at lunch and dinner. Before you know it, you are a regular gym-goer and vegetable lover.
The final key to success is patience. Results don’t appear over night, but they will come. You’re infinitely more likely to stick with your new way of life, and celebrate your healthy body, if the changes you make are small and sustainable.
About the Author
Willa Martinez is a fitness and nutrition aficionado. Living a healthy, balanced life has long been her passion and she thrives on sharing knowledge with others.
She graduated from Hamline University with a Masters in Management and from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. She has over 9 years of experience working with institutional retirement plans and deeply enjoys helping others realize their dreams.
