Although January has been long + cold, it’s still hard to believe it’s already coming to an end!  We are already into the last of January so I am curious…  have you kept up with your New Year’s resolutions?

So many of us enter the new year full of anticipation + determination to make THIS the best year yet!  We swear THIS will be the year we lose the weight, THIS will be the year we stop smoking, THIS will be the year we pay off the debit, THIS will be the year…. (fill in the blank). But then a few weeks pass, motivation wanes, we become tired + feel crummy, and before we know it, we’ve completely given up on the goals we were once so excited about.  Sound familiar?

If so, that’s okay because you are not alone!  Many of us set goals with determination + excitement and then quickly lose motivation and fall off the wagon. Moving towards goals (especially big ones) is hard work! But I am here today to remind you, that it’s NEVER too late to get back to working on your dreams.  This is only the first month of the year, we have ELEVEN more to go!  As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day and reaching our goals takes time too!  We want everything to happen overnight but a lot of time it just doesn’t work out that way.

So how can  you get back to working towards your goals + actually make progress toward them in the remaining eleven months of 2019?

 

Here are 7 steps for reaching your goals + building healthier habits:

Take action

It’s one thing to say you’re going to do something, but have you taken action to actually get that thing done?  What’s one small thing you can do to move yourself in the right direction?  Can you have one less cigarette today?  Can you exercise for just 10 minutes?  Can you add a vegetable to your dinner?  Pay $10 on your credit card? One of the goals I want to work on this year is creating a weekly blog post.  But that isn’t going to happen if I don’t sit down at my computer and write!  Even if it’s terrible, I get started because getting started propels you in the right direction.  Taking those baby steps, those small actions each and every day builds motivation and will get you to your goals that much quicker.

Trust the process

Speaking of getting to your goals quickly, you have to learn to trust the process. Sometimes we set out with one thing in mind and as we work towards it, life takes us in a totally different (and often more exciting!) direction.  Trust that the universe has a plan for you and that you are on the right path.  Everything you need to accomplish your goals is moving towards you in the right time. You are capable and worthy of your goals + dreams.  Enjoy the journey, stay open to opportunities, and be grateful for how each and every day you are becoming a better person.

Don’t expect perfection

Hear me when I say this – you are going to stumble along your way and that’s perfectly okay.  If we don’t mess up along the way, we don’t learn what works and what doesn’t.  No one’s journey towards their goals is perfect (despite what social media may make us believe).  In the past, whenever I tried to lose weight I’d go all go all in and follow whatever program I was on 100%.  Eventually I’d slip up, get down on myself,  and then give up altogether. Now I know that every slip-up or mistake along the way is an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to move closer toward my goals.

Keep trying

That being said, it is important that when you do stumble or fall off track, that you keep on trying! It may mean your path looks a little different or maybe even points you in a completely new direction, but you must keep plugging away.  Even if you’ve fallen off track for weeks, months, or years, it’s never too late to work towards the goals + habits that are meaningful to you!  Keep trying.  Find what works + what doesn’t, but keep working one day at a time.

Parent yourself

Let’s be real. As adults, sometimes we have to do things in life that we just don’t want to do and sometimes that involves the work that it takes to reach our goals. Remember when you were a kid and your parents made you do your homework before going out to play? Or forced you to eat your vegetables at dinner?  Well, it’s now your job to parent yourself.   Do I always feel like working out? Of course not but I know it’s good for my physical and mental health so I make myself do it. Are you going to want to eat a kale salad instead of a burger?  Probably not, but what’s going to serve your goals?  Is your business going to grow if you watch another episode of The Bachelor instead of answering emails?  Of course not.  It takes discipline but you’re not going to accomplish your goals laying on the couch eating potato chips (although wouldn’t that be nice?)

Find Your Tribe

This being said, if you’re like me and aren’t that great at parenting yourself, then you need to find a tribe that will keep you accountable.  You need a friend (or a group of friends!) that will be real with you and tell you when you’re being lazy or neglecting the work you need to do to get to your goals. For me, my husband has always supported me in this way.  It took me awhile to get used to his harsh truths but eventually I came to understand that it’s coming from a place of love + support. I also found a tribe of women through Beachbody that support, uplift, and encourage each other to work out, eat clean, and live healthy lives. I don’t think I’d be on the wellness path I’m on right now, if it weren’t for my tribe keeping me accountable + on the right path!

Get your head right

By this I mean that you need to work on your thought patterns and your mindset as much as possible if you are going to make any real progress towards reaching your goals. With the right mindset, you can conquer so many of life’s challenges and really accomplish anything!  There are all kinds of resources out there right now that help you to get your head in the game whether it’s books, websites, podcasts, videos, webinars, or conferences.  I make it a habit of listening to a podcast or reading a personal development book every day to make sure my head is in the right space to get the work done that I know I need to do.  The change in my mindset has been the biggest game changer for me.  If you don’t know where to start, stay tuned for a future post about my favourite personal development books + podcasts!  But in the meantime do a Google search for Mel Robbins or Rachel Hollis.  I promise, you won’t regret it.

So, there you have it!   Don’t worry if January has passed and you haven’t made near as much progress as you thought you would on the goals you set for yourself earlier this month.  You still have the rest of the year to learn, grow, and make progress and I know you can do it!  I believe in you and am cheering you on! Also, if you have any other suggestions for accomplishing goals + building better habits, I’d love to hear them!