At the start of the year you’re motivated to start some good habits to take with you through the year. You are finally making time for yourself and your health and self-care is your priority. But life gets busy and the motivation you have at the start of the year can be difficult to keep going when life’s pressures start to take hold. So what is the key to maintaining your newly formed good habits all year round?
- Have a specific plan you can stick to. Whether this is your Jenny Craig menu plan, a physical activity plan or any other kind of specific and measurable plan, it will help to guide you, keep you accountable and motivated.
- Keep a journal or diary to track your progress. This helps to keep yourself accountable but also helps to recognise when you may be slipping off track. It’s also a powerful motivator as you can look back on how far you’ve come.
- Have a support network to call upon when you need it. Whether it’s your Jenny Craig Consultant, a family member, good friend or colleague, support makes all the difference. Having people you know you can go to when you need that extra bit of help can be the difference to keep you on track.
- Revisit your motivation and goals regularly. Sometimes you can forget why you started and looking at the reason you began can help keep you going. Your motivation may change throughout the year so revisit your reasons for change and keep your goals relevant.
- Recognise your successes and benefits to change. Sometimes we achieve so much without even realising it! While losing weight may be your goal, there are so many potential wins and benefits to all the healthy lifestyle changes you are making. Celebrate when you are feeling fitter, when you notice your energy levels have improved and if your sleep is better. And look forward to even more milestones being met as you continue. You can even plan little rewards for yourself as you meet these milestones.
- Don’t be hard on yourself. If you do find yourself slipping into old habits don’t beat yourself up about it. You have not failed – it’s normal to go through ups and downs and the important thing is to always take what you can learn from an experience and then move forward.
