How many times have you set a new year’s resolution, only to fall short come February? Maybe you desire to quit smoking, drink less alcohol, read more books, or like many, you aspire to lose weight. Follow these three effective strategies to ensure that 2018 is a year of setting higher standards for yourself and smashing those goals once and for all.
#1. Strive to set positive goals
If you ask your friendship circle what their 2018 goals are, a common trend will unfold. “I won’t eat junk food”, “I’ll watch less TV”. These goals all focus on preventing yourself from doing something.
This perspective can instigate feelings of deprivation, thereby prevent you from sticking to your goals. The more you think about avoiding junk food, the more your mind will focus on such treats. Consequently, you are more likely to crave bad foods and succumb to temptation.
Alternatively, flipping your New Year resolutions to having a positive focus will greatly increase your chances of conquering them. For instance, you could change your perspective from striving to avoid junk food to instead aiming to increase the amount of wholefoods in your diet.
#2. Focus on progress over perfection
It may be hard to admit, but many of us fear failure. From a young age we are taught that mistakes are bad. During school, our mistakes were slashed off with red pen, thereby teaching us to avoid mistakes rather than use them as a positive tool to facilitate improvement.
By all means, I encourage you to set ambitious 2018 goals. However, if you slip up, instead of admitting defeat and throwing in the towel, it is important to reflect on how far you have progressed and devise a new strategy to conquer your target.
#3. Create a strong support network
Your environment has a huge effect on your thoughts and decisions. Thus, developing a powerful support network can make you more likely to conquer your goals. For instance, athletes who are at the top of their fitness game have an extensive support network, comprising strength and conditioning specialists, physiotherapists and so on.
Registering for our 40 Day Transformation Challenge is fantastic way to develop a powerful support network around you. Your teammates and mentors will encourage, inspire and challenge you. This will greatly increase your ability to master your fitness goals.
