Happy New Year!
Do you get swooped up in New Years Resolutions?
Have you vowed to work out every single day this January, quit sugar, journal & meditate every single day, quit caffeine, etc. etc.
While those are all awesome resolutions that can help you live a healthier life, sometimes setting too many resolutions not only sets you up for failure, but it also contributes to you feeling like crap when the resolutions fall to the wayside.
People get super stressed out about resolutions, and more accurately, failing at their resolutions.
So instead of setting resolutions this 2020, let’s focus on other, more positive ways you can set yourself up for success and focus on what you want in your life without all the stress.
Check out the tips below on how you can reduce your New Year’s Resolution Stress.
1. Set SMART goals.
SMART goals are specific goals to help you set up a plan for what you want to accomplish. These are great when you want to do something that has an ‘end’ date, like run a 5km or 10km or a tough mudder. They are also great when your doctor has said you need to lose 20lbs. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relative or Reward, & Timely. To use it in an example…I want to lose 10lbs (specific & measurable & attainable) in 10 weeks (timely) and when I do, I’ll get a new workout top (reward). Saying ‘I want to be fit’ would not be an example of a SMART goal because it’s not specific nor measurable. What ‘fit’ looks like to one person is different to the next. I want to run the Scotia Bank 1/2 Marathon in June is definitely a SMART goal. See the difference?
2. Set Intentions
I LOVE these because they deal with more how you want to ‘feel’ and how you’d ‘like’ something to go. You can set them in absolutely any area of your life. I set intentions for my day in the morning after I mediate. It goes something like this, my intention today is to be more present. Or my intention for this workout is to feel positive about my body. My intention for this meal is to nourish my body with fiber & vitamins. My intention for this time with my girls is to really listen. Make sense?
3. Set a Theme word for the year.
Invest. That’s my theme word for 2020. I want to invest in all areas of my life; business, community, relationships, and mindset. Theme words are super cool because they help you set intentions around what you want more of in the next year. They help you streamline your goals and figure out ways to make them happen.
For example take my theme word – INVEST. Because I want to invest in myself and my business, I am adding accountability coaching to my services. Adding that into my repertoire will help ‘invest’ my life in many different ways.
So, how does one find a theme word? It’s the word that keeps coming to your attention. One that resonates with you and makes you think. Maybe one you keep hearing lately. You don’t have to have just 1 word. Maybe you have a few words that pop up at you. That’s cool too. There really is no right or wrong to choosing a theme word(s).
Take 10 mins and sit somewhere quiet and comfortable and just envision your 2020. What does it look like? Who’s in it? What do you want more of in 2020? What do you want to leave behind in 2019?
Here are some words to help inspire you: grateful, present, courage, focus, change, joy, release, trust, seek, balance, fearless, less, enough. faith…..is there a word that pops out at you?
Remember, the whole point is to not get overwhelmed so just pick 1 of the 3 tips to start your 2020 in a positive manner.
Once you feel you’ve got that 1 tip down, then choose another.
May the turn of the decade be AWESOMELY positive for you!
Happy 2020!
Fawn Gill is the Group Fitness Manager of Steve Nash Fitness Clubs for the North Shore. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness instructor, Pilates Instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. Check her out at www.fawngillfitness.com