Cheers to the New Year!

As we sit around stuffed from our Holiday meals, we can’t help but think of the great year that we had. We reminisce about the good times and the bad times that brought us closer together. We also think of the future and our New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe we want to lose weight, join a gym, meet new people, or do something new, we all need to be inspired. I know when I am trying to stick to my resolution, I try to find every type of inspiration possible! Some work and some don’t, but I always know I can at least say that I tried.

Inspiration can come in many different forms. For you, it might be looking at an old picture or imagining how you will feel once you meet your goal. Whatever your inspiration might be, we encourage all of you to stick with it! Stay strong and stay positive. And remember, nothing is impossible to those who believe. So believe in yourself!

We wanted to set you up for success so we wrote down a few tips to help you follow through with your resolutions.

• Ask yourself – Why are you making this goal for yourself? What do you want to get out of it? How do you want to accomplish it? When do you want to complete it by? Who do you want to share your success with? These questions can help you set a plan for yourself and help you meet your goal.
• Set yourself up for success – Don’t make up an improbable goal for yourself. Take a moment to think about a realistic goal that you believe you can meet. Don’t cut out your favorite food completely in an attempt to lose weight. Instead, maybe reduce how much you eat that food.
• Take it one step at a time – Don’t go for gold your first time out. Go slow and you will see progress as you move along. Pace yourself and meet smaller goals that will build up to your bigger goal.
• Take notes – Writing down your goals and when you would like to meet them is a great way to stay on track. Going back and looking at these notes can keep you get inspired to stick with it.
• Write daily - OK, maybe not daily, but keep a notebook or diary to write down inspiration, good things that you accomplished, and positive reassurance for yourself. On days you’re feeling down and feel like you’re failing, you can always go back and look at all the progress you have made and inspire yourself!
• Phone a friend – Or a co-worker or a family member. Share with them your goals, your progress, also share when you might be struggling a bit. They can offer you a bit of support and inspiration to meet your goal.
• Stay positive – There may be times that you want to beat yourself up. DON’T! Stay positive. You will have some ups and downs, but if you stick with your goal, you will feel a great sense of accomplishment. The biggest lessons are learned and the most growth happens through mistakes and failures. It’s OK to fall down as long you get back up.
• Make it a habit – It takes about 21 days for something to become a habit. Stick with your resolution for 21 days and it will be a part of you and your everyday routine. 21 days! That’s less than a month – you can do it!
• If at first you don’t succeed, try again –If you don’t meet your goal the first time around, don’t worry! Simply start again. There is no shame in failing. And there is not rule against starting again with your resolution. You will only be bettering yourself!

Resolutions are about you. They are you making yourself feel better about you. We believe in you! And so should you! Cheers to the New Year! Happy New year from all of us at Joyful Sentiments!!