7 Easy & Effective Ways To Help Keep You Committed To Your Health Goals All Year Long in 2015

Resolutions don’t last.

Commitments do.

Commit to yourself.

Commit to your health.

This will be your best year yet.

Feeling, looking, & living your best.

Bring on 2015!

Reflect & Refocus

We’re just 3 days away from a brand new year. How did that happen?

2014 will soon be behind us. I hope you’ve taken some time to reflect back on the year to acknowledge all that went well. Whether it was losing weight, decreasing body fat, dropping a few pant or dress sizes, running a marathon, or increasing your energy and confidence.

Equally important to reflect on all that didn’t go so well. What could have made it better? What could have you done differently to lose more weight, be more consistent with workouts, make better food choices?

Reflecting will help you to understand how to refocus your time and effort in the new year to achieve your 2015 health goals. If you haven’t done so yet, take some time to reflect & refocus.

Going The Distance

With a new year comes new health goals, promises, and commitments. We all have them, I know I do.

I don’t like using the word “resolution“. Resolutions are seen as ideas, thoughts, and words of what we want for ourselves. These ideas, thoughts, and words aren’t real and never last long enough for there to be any type of success.

Commitments on the other hand, require that you take ownership in seeing it through.

Make commitments, not resolutions.

Success Favors The Prepared

If you haven’t decided yet on what your health commitments are for 2015, make it a point to do so in the new few days. You’ll never get somewhere, wherever it may be, if you don’t know where you’re going.

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where – ” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

~ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ~

Know what your health goals are. Define them. Whether it’s to lose weight, lose body fat, lose inches, run a half marathon, do a full push up or pull up….

Know which way you want to go.

Already defined your health commitments?… Perfect!

Let’s look at 7 simple & effective ways to make sure you remain committed to your health goals throughout the entire year, and not just the first few weeks in January.

1. Write It Down

Your goals, health commitments must be in writing. A goal that isn’t written down, is just a wish. It’s not real. When it’s in writing, it’s a commitment, a

goal. If you skip this first simple step, you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even begin. Write it down.

2. Focus On One

If you have several health goals such as lose weight, run a marathon, drink more water daily – pick just one to focus on to begin with. Overwhelming yourself with several different health goals all at once is a recipe for failure. Put all your eggs in one basket out of the gate.

3. 30-Day Commitment

Focus on the one health goal you have chosen exclusively for the next 30 days. Commit to it, think about it, and plan for it daily. Go all out to make it the most successful 30 days possible with that one health goal you’ve decided on.

4. Tell Someone

Tell family, friends, neighbors, or colleagues, about your 30 day health goal that you’re committed to. Create that accountability for yourself so that others know what you’re up to and not just you. It’ll also garner the help, support, and motivation of others if they know what you’re up to.

5. Get Someone To Join You

Think of someone who has similar health goals as you do and reach out to them. Ask them if they’re willing to be your accountability partner which could mean anything from daily check-ins with each other, workouts together, support and motivation. Alone you’ll go far, together with someone you’ll go further. 

6. Tie It To Something Bigger

Make your health goal about something other than your own health benefit. Tie it to a volunteering event, charity contribution, or fundraiser. We’re often ready and willing to do all we can to help others before we help ourselves. Doing it this way, it’s a win/win. You’ll be helping others and benefiting as well in the process.

7. Reward Yourself

Have a predetermined reward for yourself picked out before beginning your 30 day commitment. If you successfully achieve your health goal for all 30 days, whether it’s drinking a set amount of water daily or exercising 3 to 4 times per week, reward yourself for your effort and success.

Next Steps

After you’ve completed these first 30 days, decide whether it makes sense (based on your progress and results) to add in another health goal and applying these same seven steps, or if it makes more sense to commit another 30 days to your original health goal.

If you do decide to add a new health goal to focus on for the next 30 days, continue to complete your original health goal, while adding in the new one where most of your focus will be dedicated.

If you need help deciding on what health goals you may want to focus on this year, here’s 12 wellness quests to consider.

Nothing Works Unless You Do

I mentioned these 7 steps were easy and effective, which they are, but nothing happens unless you put them to use and take action on each one of them.

I’ll share with you my one health goal that I will focus on first in the new year, and that is to drink more water daily and consistently. I already have it written down and just told someone about it – all of you guys!

What one health goal will you focus on for the first 30 days to start the new year?

Share with me how you will apply these seven steps.

Let’s set the tone for 2015 right out of the gate, by firing on all cylinders and blowing that first 30 day health commitment out of the water.

Let’s do this!

Featured Image Credit: Beeline Designs