Know Yourself Before Making Your New Year’s Resolutions

By now, every morning show, news outlet, blog and email blast has given you recommendations on how to make your new year’s resolutions last. I bet that they haven’t mentioned one very important thing…

In my opinion, the very first step in creating resolutions is to know yourself. Once you take a moment to analyze your mind, as well as your past actions, you’ll be able to properly and fittingly create attainable goals no matter what time of the year it is. Much easier said than done, huh? What you want to do is ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Now, be honest with yourself and then ask if it fits within your schedule, your personality, and your overall outlook on life. From there you’ll start to build upon your goal and hopefully end up with a solid plan. See my examples below and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Eating healthier has been part of my goal for several years now. It’s a pretty general goal, but in knowing my body and my habits, I knew that I just needed to adjust my lifestyle little by little and not pull the rug right from underneath me. I also didn’t force myself to eat anything that I didn’t like, nor did I punish myself for breaking a routine. After two years, not only am I eating healthier, but so is my husband. We’ve slowly incorporated more veggies into our everyday diet -which were practically non existent before-, we’ve cut back big-time on sodas (maybe once a month), I’ve lowered my sugar intake drastically, we only eat out about once or twice a week (which is good for both the body and the wallet), fast foods are a rare thing, all of our pasta is whole grain, and we control our portions…The change has been fabulous. I just tried a green drink the other day and I absolutely loved it!!! We’re going to start juicing at home now and see where it goes.

Another big resolution for many is exercising. Since hitting 30yrs I’ve felt my body change. I knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time. So, I wanted to incorporate some effective but normal amount of cardio (I don’t enjoy running) and toning routines. I also wanted the convenience of working out at home. This goes back to knowing yourself. I get the urge to exercise either early in the morning or when the sun is going down. By working out at home I have the freedom and flexibility to work out at whatever time I want and at no cost. Maybe you prefer traveling to a gym or yoga studio to get away from home or you prefer team challenges like Cross Fit. Just figure out what it is that inspires you and go for it.

These are just two examples, but do you see where I’m getting at? I highly encourage you to not put so much pressure on yourself, regardless of whether you choose to make resolutions or not. If you do, don’t get disappointed if you don’t get it all done. It’s ok. It’s also ok if you change your mind. Life happens and in the process of figuring it out you might come across some dead ends or even better ideas. If you are looking for accountability, then share your resolutions with someone that will keep you in check. For some time I wouldn’t share my goals because of the potential fear of failure. Now, I just say whatever I want. If it works out, great! If it doesn’t, that’s ok too. I tried. If others are judging you for it, it’s their problem, not yours.

What are you working towards in 2014? Comment below or write to me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. All links in the column on the right. me pueden escribir en español tambien.

Here are some articles and/blog posts about resolutions that you might like to read:
10 New Year Resolutions That Everyone Should Make
5 New Year’s Resolutions That Might Actually Work

Thanks for reading!