5 Tips for Keeping New Year's Resolutions

I'm finally back to my little blog after having Nixon. The last three months have been the most amazing of my life, having this little human that loves me so unconditionally. He has touched my heart with his innate kindness, patience, tolerance and excitement for life.  Safe to say we're in love. 

So, here we are two weeks into 2016. Many of us trying to implement new (or perhaps old) health goals. If you're anything like me, you tend to have visions of grandeur on January 1st, betrothing yourself to lofty (and sometimes rigid) aspirations, only to become disappointed when after 2 weeks you can't seem to keep up with your own demands.

Let's face it, change is hard- REALLY hard- and the older we get, and the more complicated our lives, the more difficult change becomes ESPECIALLY when it comes to food and fitness. Read on for my five tips for sustaining your good intentions. 

Start slow.

Most of our habits are built over months or even years, so why do we expect transformation overnight? Intentional change is slow and requires small habits changing over a longer period of time. Make a plan, but don't make the steps too big. Eating one less sweet a day is going to be much more attainable than telling ourselves we will have none at all. Small victories my friends.

Set goals that are realistic.

 If you have never stepped foot in a gym, pledging to work out for one hour 6 days a week is probably not going to be a viable goal for you. However, it may be more realistic to say that you will go twice a week for 30 minutes and seek the help of a trainer. See success with something that meets you where you are today and build on it when you are ready.  

Take it one day at a time.

No one is perfect. Some days you're gonna have birthday cake or be so busy that you just don't make it to spin class and thats ok. Keep it all in context of the bigger picture. If you fell off the wagon yesterday, take a deep breath and don't beat yourself up. It is of no consequence to the moment you have in your hands right now. Start again. Take this moment and do something with it. Drop and give yourself 20!

Give yourself grace. 

We all have our own unique challenges and life situations, so give yourself a break. You are doing the best you can. Be kind to yourself. Our self-talk should mirror the manner in which we speak to and encourage our loved ones. This goes a long way towards helping us stay the course. We've all been down the rabbit hole of self-pity when we make ourselves feel so bad that we give up all together. Just don't go there.  

Live with intention. 

Your overall intent will be that driving force that helps you stick to your plan. One of my favorite quotes is from Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (which coincidentally is a great book to start a new year). He says, " Each day should contribute in a meaningful way to the vision of your life as a whole." What is the vision for your life? What are you doing each day to contribute to that vision? 

I'd love to hear your goals and dreams for 2016!

- Tara