I love a good statistic and doing a bit of reading this week, I came across a good one - a research study had found that 88% of people who set New Year's Resolutions, don't achieve them. I imagined it would be a high number but 88% did throw me a bit! So I started digging a bit deeper....
Why do so many people not achieve the goals they set themselves? And by ‘people’, I am most certainly putting myself into that category too – I’ve set New Year’s Resolutions since childhood and very very rarely have I achieved them.
I then found some more interesting statistics. Of those that didn’t achieve their goals:
- 35% set themselves unrealistic goals
- 35% lost motivation
- 33% didn’t track progress to measure their achievements
- 23% simply forgot what goals they had set themselves
- 10% made too many resolutions and felt overwhelmed.
I recognised myself straight away in all of these.
Next up, I looked into how long we last with our resolutions and this bit of info did make me smile as once again, I completely recognised myself:
So, can you break the trend? Can you set yourself goals and resolutions and make them stick?
I absolutely believe the answer is YES – however, simply stating ‘My New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight’ is simply not going to work. To make any change (at any time of year!) requires some effort, some planning and a lot of thinking.
Here’s a few of my tips and things I’ve put in place – I also want to state, that I use all of these constantly throughout the year and not just for New Year’s Resolutions and a lot of my biggest changes in life have had nothing to do with the start of a ‘New Year’ – they’ve been triggered by other events or situations in life.
1
Take some time to review where you are
Did you set yourself some goals for 2022? How did you get on?
Taking time to reflect on your progress is something I think a lot of us don’t make the time for – we simply say ‘oh well, failed again’ but spending a bit of time thinking about what progress you did make, what changes you put in place, what may have got in the way and what challenges you faced really helps you to learn and set goals using experience and knowledge as a solid foundation.
2
Make your goal personal to you
Don’t set goals because you think you should – I can pretty much guarantee that if your goal includes the word ‘should’, you aren’t going to achieve it. It’s important to set a goal that has real meaning to you and you alone – not because your doctor / partner / parent / friend / social media / society says you should.
3
Be Realistic
Don’t go mental and set yourself 300 resolutions or goals with outstanding expectations – you’ll simply set yourself impossible to maintain standards, get overwhelmed very quickly and probably start resenting the goals you’ve set. A prime example of this is if you choose exercise and getting fit as a resolution. Going from no exercise to going to the gym for an hour a day for 5 days a week is a huge leap – is that realistic? How will you change your life to find that extra time every single day? Be honest with yourself and your time and your lifestyle. Maybe start with two or three times a week and when that becomes a part of your routine, maybe increase one more session at a time.
4
Set SMART goals
SMART goals are:
- Specific – what exactly do you want to achieve? (Saying ‘lose weight’ is actually meaningless – what actually do you want to do? Lose 1 stone? Fit into your old favourite jeans? Be a size 12?)
- Measurable – you need to be able to track your progress, what are you going to measure? How often? What day? How will you keep a record of progress?
- Achievable – as I stated above, be realistic with yourself and what is achievable. Don’t set yourself up to fail before you even begin.
- Relevant – what does your goal mean to you? What changes will it bring to your life? How will it make you feel?
- Time-bound – give yourself some deadlines to help keep you focused and accountable.
5
Progress Milestones
Sometimes our goals seem too daunting or too big and that in itself can be demotivating. When I finally decided I was going to change my lifestyle and lose weight, I stood on the scales at 22 stone. Setting a goal to lose over 10 stone simply terrified me and certainly didn’t motivate me so I set small goals of one stone at a time, to drop down into a new stone bracket, to get into one size smaller clothes. These much smaller goals were much more in reach and motivated me on a daily / weekly and monthly basis.
6
Write your goals down and read them often
I write my goals down in my journal and review them frequently – by reading them often, I keep them at the front of my mind, I check in to see how I’m getting on, what’s working, what’s not working and what plans or changes I need to make.
I’m an old fashioned kind of girl so paper and pen is my go to – you can use your phone or computer to log your goals, post it notes, vision boards etc etc – there is no right or wrong way but it’s important to find the way that works best for you.
7
Track your progress
Again, there are so many different ways to do this and its important you find the way that works best for you but tracking your progress is vital for your success.
You can see what’s working well, what’s holding you back, spot trends and patterns and help you see where you need to focus your attention. It’s also great to see your progress and how your hard work is paying off.
Personally, I love ‘habit tracking’ (here’s a link to a blog I’ve written about that: habit tracking blog) as well as visual progress charts (I’ve created myself a simple ‘bookshelf’ to keep track of the books I read in 2023).
8
Find your tribe!
Going it alone is HARD! Finding others with the same goals as you for support and accountability makes such a big difference to your motivation, sticking power and success.
If you are looking to lose weight in 2023, come and join my free Facebook support group – we’re all in the same boat sharing our successes, challenges and tips each week. Just click on the image to join.
Accountability and having someone to check in regularly is also a huge factor in keeping you motivated and focused. I provide accountability 1-2-1 programmes with weekly check ins and guidance – just email me for more information if you’d like to find out more: georgina@mealplansmadeeasy.co.uk
9
Review, review, review
Set time aside in your diary each month to have a check in with yourself – what’s working well, what adjustments do you need to make, what have you learned, what are you proud of, what results are you seeing, do you need to change your goal or your way of measuring it?
10
Don't let one slip up stop you
This is probably my most important tip and the thing that made the biggest difference to me – learning that it’s ok to not be perfect, that you will slip up and that setbacks will happen. So many times, I gave up on a goal at the first hurdle I came across and convinced myself that I was a failure based on one mistake. A simple mindset shift giving your permission to make mistakes and that it’s not the end of the road just because you missed one day will take you a lot further than putting the pressure on yourself to be perfect every single day of your life.
I hope you find this post useful – and it’s not just linked to the start of a New Year – you can choose any day and any time to make a goal and make a change. I’d love to hear from you as to whether you are setting yourself any goals for 2023 and which of these steps you are going to include.
I love helping people discover the best ways to work on their mindsets and habits to help them reach their weight loss goals and if you would like to find out more about my 1-2-1 coaching programme or how I can help you, please do get in touch.
Email me or phone/message: 07834 442607
Join my free Facebook support group for weekly live sessions, more tips and strategies and motivation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theweightlossgroup