by Dr Taufiq
How to make a New Year’s resolution and stick to it
The year 2013 has come and gone. For some it was an amazing year and for others maybe not so much. Most of us will start reflecting on the past year and think of how 2014 can be even better than 2013. That’s when we start to set our New Year’s resolutions. The most common of all resolutions: to lose weight. Many of us have been there, myself included, and the majority of us usually fail to achieve it especially when it’s set in the New Year. Let’s put an end to all of that and finally see through that New Year’s resolution.
Let me list the steps on to how to make that resolution stick:
- Make that resolution your own
Resolutions usually don’t work because most of the time, it is not our own. People usually make them because of several reasons other than because they really want to achieve them. So before you even set that resolution of yours, make sure that it is something you really want to achieve and not just because someone told you to. Once you’ve decided for certain that it is what you want to do, you have to be clear about the reason you are doing it. This clarity is very important because if this is not a strong enough motivating factor for you, you can easily give up and go back to your usual habits. Everyone has their own reasons for losing weight. So make sure you find your real reason for doing it.
- Tell everyone
One of the best ways to make your resolution stick is to tell everyone about it. I know you must be scared to do this in case it fails but by telling people your New Year resolution, you make a self-commitment to that goal. Since everyone around you knows about it, there will be a lower chance of you giving up as you might be embarrassed in front of others.
- Make a plan with a timeline
There is no point saying “I want to lose weight in 2014”. You’ll be setting yourself up for failure. From this statement, it can mean you have a whole year to do it and you can start anytime. There is no time commitment to this resolution and so you will not know when to start and when to achieve it by. Set a timeline with specific targets. For example, I want to lose 5 kg by 30 April 2014 just in time for my sister’s wedding in May. With this goal, it becomes very clear how much you need to lose and by when. You can also include your motivating factor as well. After setting the timeline, you need to have a plan in place as to how to achieve it. Your plan may include: I will change my diet by cutting down on oily food and eliminating fast food from my diet. I will also have a regular exercise regime 3 times a week and I will try to walk around as much as possible.
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