The term New Year is synonymous with a few things. Among them are glitter, champagne, and those epic promises we make to ourselves on New Year’s Eve. Like kids making a wish before blowing out candles on a birthday cake, we love making these promises to ourselves, confident that by 9 am sharp on January 1st, our new, healthier selves shall emerge, ready to take on the world
But, as we all know, it doesn’t exactly happen that way.
That’s right, we’re talking about New Year’s resolutions. The truth is that these resolutions are rarely successful. They’re treated more like wishes we hope will magically befall us and we’ll have to do little to no work in order to maintain. Statistics tell us that we’re not really taking these wishes very seriously at all.
- After 1 week, 75% of resolutions are successful
- After two weeks, 71% of resolutions are successful
- After 1 month, 64% of resolutions are successful
- After 6 months, 46% of resolutions are successful
- Throughout the rest of the year, only 4% are still successful
Resolutions take work. Whether you’re committing to eating healthier, losing weight, learning a new language, or adopting a more positive outlook on life, resolutions are simply declarations unless you’re positioning yourself to make following through all year long doable for you.
A Different Approach to New Years Resolutions
Approaching resolutions and lifestyle changes start with understanding why you want to make the changes you’re aiming for. So, start by asking yourself “What is my why?”
“Know your why behind the goals you set. Don't just say you want to lose body fat; why do you want to lose body fat? Goals become sticky when they are attached to a powerful motivating factor like being healthy for our kids or being the best version of myself for my spouse.” -Dr. Richard Harris
If you’re trying to shed a few of those not-so-healthy habits and you want a head start on a healthier you before 2022 hits, here’s how you can start.
- Set realistic goals: If your goal is to lose weight or eat healthier, that requires a shift in nutrition, not a gym membership. You can easily skip the gym (in fact, most gyms build their business models on the bet that you won’t return), but you can’t skip eating. So set yourself up for success by mapping out your new nutrition path in detail.
- Start researching healthy recipes
- Create a visual list of good-food inspiration on Pinterest or Instagram or your favorite recipe platform.
- Plan out what you can make in a hurry
- Have healthy snacks within reach
- Shift your habits: Small changes can lead to big long-term health impacts. If you know that turning on the TV as soon as you come home from work means that you’re less likely to move for the rest of the evening, then ensure you don’t reach for that remote right away. Instead, use that post-work time to take a walk, wind down, and decompress. Says Dr. Harris, “Being 1% better every day will net you 37% improvement in a year. Imagine making 37% on your money in a year; that's a proposition we would all take!”
- Plan a 15-20 minute jog after work. It’s a brief time commitment which makes it easier to follow through on, even after a long workday
- Use your step counter and set a goal of 5,000 steps after work. At the end of the workweek, that’s 25,000 extra steps!
- Before starting your usual morning routine, take 10 minutes to stretch, practice yoga, or meditate. You’ll reap the benefits throughout the day.
- Focus on health and wellbeing: Familiarize yourself with the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function optimally. Make sure you’re supporting it with healthy, vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables, and supplements as needed.
- Start with seasonal nourishment. When produce is at its peak of freshness, it contains more vitamins and minerals. In the winter months, look for vegetables like kale, beets, winter squash, radicchio, leeks, and fennel. Reach for seasonal fruits like grapefruit, lemons, clementines, kiwi, and persimmon.
- Take your vitamins. Start things off right with our Immunity 10-Day Power Pack, the best way to reset and recharge your immune system. This convenient Power Pack supports energy, immune and metabolic health for full-body benefits you can see and feel. Designed to help fill dietary and immune health gaps, it’s uniquely formulated to balance your biochemistry and enhance your overall well-being.
The Power Pack contains the following vitamins and minerals:
- B-Complex+
- Zinc
- Detox Blend
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D3
- L-Lysine
- Recharge Blend
Nourishing your body and committing to better health and wellbeing is a common New Year’s resolution, but sticking to it is no small feat. Recognizing the work you need to do in order to support your goal is step number one. Setting realistic goals, making conscious shifts in your daily habits, and focusing on overall health and wellbeing are the only sure-fire ways to follow through long-term. If you’re setting yourself up for success now, then by this time next year, you might just be congratulating yourself.