80% of these fail by February. Guess what?
Its that time of year. Where we all tend to create new goals. Well guess what - its January 10th, and that means in just a few weeks time the majority of new years resolutions people set will come to an end. In fact, the top four resolutions are: lose weight/healthier eating, life/self improvements, better financial decisions and quit smoking. Only 21.4% of people who make a new years resolution to eat healthier, stick to it. And that number keeps declining as we go down the list until we hit smoking at only 7.1% of people who stick to it.
If you don't follow me on social media, you won't know that I am doing the January 2018 Whole30. And days 10 and 11 are supposed to be the hardest. BUT I'm thriving and feeling BOMB. How am I sticking to my new years resolutions? Well they weren't really resolutions but easy, simple and sustainable goals I could keep.
Here's how I have been and how you can set yourself up for success:
+ I planned the shit out of it: I took 60 minutes out of my day on the 31st to plan EVERY SINGLE MEAL for the month. I use this awesome meal planning service, called Plan to Eat, you can get a free trial here. It is the most crazy effective tool to staying on track. What gets planned gets done. + Each week, you can print the grocery list from the website based on your meals OR like me, take 10 minutes and make your own based off of what you have/what you need. I go to the grocery store once a week and stick to my meal plan. (Common question: what if you don't feel like eating what you planned? Easy, I have a ton of leftovers to choose from and schedule leftover days in) + Journaling: I write down what I've eaten and how I'm feeling, and I'm using the Whole30 Day by Day journal to track my non-scale victories for the month. As an aspiring nutritionist, I LOVE the concept of this. Often people get SO caught up in the idea of tracking every calorie and pound, they miss the point - to eat better and feel healthy from the INSIDE out. + SLEEP: I am getting 8+ hours a night. Supplementing with Natural Calm's magnesium at bedtime, and creating rituals to get me to sleep soundly. This usually means no phone or TV after 8:30pm. + Creating new habits. Have a craving? I drink a glass of water, or stretch it out. Bored and want to be on my phone? I grab a book and read. You would be surprised how screen time effects what you eat. Seriously, try to scroll instagram and not want a brownie or cookie. + Make yourself accountable. I told all my friends, family and coworkers I was doing this - and by telling everyone, I keep myself accountable and so do they. + Don't make it so hard. No one sticks to complicated goals. So throw out that "I want to lose 60 pounds, go to the gym everyday, quit smoking and run a marathon" goals out the window. How about you start with a goal for January: "this month I will not smoke, and instead go for a walk or run". When we try to create too many new habits at once, we get overwhelmed and we quit. No bueno. Small, measurable goals guys.
What were your new years resolutions? AND are you sticking to them?
My goals for 2018 are as follows:
> complete 3 Whole30's and help others complete them too
> start back to the gym
> start my coaching practice by being of service and offering my gifts to the world for FREE
> continue healing my hormones
> replace my commute music habit with an audio book or a podcast (because the most successful people do)
> get to bed earlier (a happy benefit of the Whole30 has been the reset to my natural sleep cycle)
> adopt habits that successful people follow (one at a time)
> focus on financial freedom (and no, that doesn't mean making millions)
Did I start all of this in one month? HELL TO THE NO.
I took my first almost two weeks to JUST focus on the Whole30 - establishing new habits around prep and cooking. During this week, I've created new rituals around bedtime and signed up for a gym membership. Next week - I'll go to the gym three times. I set aside time yesterday to redesign my website - to make it simpler for me to post and for you to access information. I also swapped my radio habit for audiobooks and podcasts this week. Opting instead for The Judgement Detox by Gabby Bernstein and binge listening to Ange Peters podcast HolFit Talks.
The shifts in my mood, energy and mind have been monumental. And it feels like I have barely changed a thing. No good thing ever happens over night. Baby steps guys.
I will say one thing: it is so worth it when we finally make the shifts and the aha moment appears. It is SO satisfying, and I want to help YOU stay out of the 80% that don't keep their resolutions. So reach out - I'm offering free email support this month. Shoot me an email anytime at jedrahallen@gmail.com. But take advantage quick, the offer ends February 1st when my coaching fees are announced. And remember, YOU CAN DO THIS.
