Happy February!

Who else is guilty of not sticking to their New Year Resolutions? It seems as if the first month you’re going strong, then the second month your momentum is still up but you’re starting to slack just a little. By the third month, you’re tired, and the stresses of life and work are starting to take over.

I completely understand. You have been going strong so far, which is good since it’s only the first week of February. More gym sessions, eating more nutritious meals and taking more supplements than what you usually would has got your weight loss mindset in overdrive. You may also have more support than what you did last year which is a bonus.

Now the only question is, how do you keep this drive and energy that you have now into the rest of the year.

I work two jobs and most days I’m not home for 18 hours out of the day. I try to meal prep by packing breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It sounds like it would make my life so much easier by being slightly organized with this, but not really. The beginning of the day always starts reasonably well. By midday, the stresses of work or personal life begin to kick in a little, and by the end of the night, it’s like don’t talk to me. 

Now its the end of the work shift for my day job and its time to get ready for the second one. Granted I only work a 6-hour shift at my second job, but its still energy draining and its time I would want to spend doing other things but can’t because of financial reasons.

Don’t get me wrong; if I hated it that much, I would have quit a long time ago.

The point is the stresses of life can get you off track, and I have a simple list here that may be of some help. 

Now let’s get to it!

1. Make a plan

I love writing things down on post-it notes or just typing it into the notepad on my phone. The notepad in my phone is full of “things to do,” grocery list, items I plan on buying, and even my bucket list. I’ve tried using planners, but they never worked well for me due to them not being readily available when something random popped into my head.

With that being said, first, write down exactly what you want to accomplish. Look at different aspects of your life and what needs to change for you to achieve your goals. 

For example, if your goal is to save for a significant purchase such as a house, you know you shouldn’t be swiping your debit/credit card as much and stop or slow from making any frivolous purchases.

Another option is to try using an excel spreadsheet to keep track of your goals.  Label the months and what your overall goal is to accomplish for that month. Going back to the house example, your goal for this month could be limit ordering out food to only twice, for the entire month of February. The following month goal could be to have this amount in your savings account by the end of March.

Think of your plan as a blueprint to becoming a new and improved version of you. Think about how your life would change and how you will feel once everything is accomplished.

2. Create a daily routine

Make a numbered list of tasks you should complete each day. Determine what actions you need to take for you to stay on track to achieving the success you’re looking for. This is where you learn how to maximize your time and efforts.

By making a schedule and sticking to it, you can accomplish more because you’re seeing what you’re doing. You know where you are slacking or where you missed an opportunity to complete a task for that day.

Earlier I spoke on how I put everything I want and need to do in the notepad in my phone. If keeping your goals electronically is not for you, there is another option, write it down! Keep a notebook with each page dated with your to-do list for that day. 

For the notepad in your phone, there is a print option, for at least the iPhone there is. This comes in handy, so if you do decide to make your plan in the notepad, because you randomly get that spark of inspiration, using your phone, you can easily print out multiple copies to hang up around the house or at work.

You can now have that physical visual of what you need to complete, work on, or check off on your list. As for my notebook writers, make copies and place around your hangout quarters as well. It all works the same. 

3. Make a realistic (not so strict) timeline

Whether my goals are short or long term, I always create a timeline of when I want to have them accomplished. I create a realistic schedule.

This means you know if you want to drop 15 pounds for a wedding that’s in six months, you should start now and not one week before the wedding and starve yourself. For one, that’s not safe and two it’s not practical to drop 15 pounds in a week.

Don’t be so strict on how soon you have to achieve your goal. The toughest part of accomplishing a goal is the time it takes to get there. The more you rush it, the more stress you will feel mental and then physically.

Take your time, don’t rush your tasks, and check off at least one item on your to-do list each day. You don’t wanna fly through everything and get half-ass results.

Learn to fall in love with the process, and the rest will follow.

4. Don’t worry

Like I said earlier, stress and anxiety is a mother, try to avoid it.

I know how easy it is to get overwhelmed and start second-guessing yourself. Willpower is the primary answer at this point.

If you find yourself thinking negatively or showing senses of doubt, stop yourself from whatever you are doing, and say out loud “I got this.” If you’re in a room full of people, then speak it quietly or in your head.

In the midst of that negative thought, show self-control. One negative feeling can be so powerful and deter you from goals or anything you want to accomplish.

To prevent you from following off the wagon, start a task or hobby or anything that relaxes you mentally. Is it yoga, adult coloring books, or just a bubble bath, do it for your sanity. Clarity is essential with the majority of things in life.

I know its hard with so much going on around you, but trust me, if you try your hardest to stay focused on what’s ahead you will see the rewards.

5. Accountability Partner 

Like I said earlier, don’t worry, I get it. Not everyone will have a support system, or maybe not even want one. Some people like to rely on themselves, and that’s okay too.

If you are one of those people that feels they need or would like someone to support you on your endeavors, designate one person you can go to when you feel like giving up.

The purpose of having an accountability partner is to support you along your journey and make sure you keep all your commitments as written down in your plan. Not only will this help you stay on track, but will also aid in your positive thinking and attitude.

Choose a person who you are comfortable talking with and expressing your emotions. This person should be someone who you respect and wants to see you happy and exceeding more than what you thought you could.

The goal here is for you always to feel confident and motivated no matter what gets thrown at you. Your accountability partner will continually be there to make sure you don’t quit.

6. Journal

I know I just talked about this, but writing down your thoughts will help you push forward. This time I’m not talking about your to-do list, but your feelings, emotions, and moods, all things internal.

If you didn’t know, journaling has impressive health benefits, one of them being stress management. Writing down all your feelings, good and bad, will keep you in the right state of mind and keep your stress levels at bay. Negative thoughts and people can be around us daily, some more than others.

What to Write in Your Journal

Write what you accomplished so far, successes and failures and how it made you feel. There may be times when you think you haven’t accomplished anything that week. This is the part of your journey when you go back to that person you designated as being the one holding you accountable. Discuss with them how you’re feeling, and then ask for their opinion on what they think you’re successes and failures were for the week. It may be entirely different hearing it from another perspective.

Ask them to talk out with you what you have done, what you wanted to do, and what you feel like you didn’t do. I am guilty of this a lot. Some weeks I feel like I got nothing done, but when I ask my accountability partner, they point out to me things I didn’t see or take into account.

Your journal entry may turn out completely different once you have that conversation with an outside person looking in. It’s hard seeing the big picture when you’re in a negative space.

Try to Focus

Sometimes you will be such in a funk you will not be thinking clearly. This is where journaling and your accountability partner comes into play.

By jotting down your moods and emotions, you will begin to know yourself better and have a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t let these negative thoughts or feelings deter you from your dream.

Journaling is a mood booster. Do it 15 minutes a day, a few times a week, and it will have a significant impact on your process and happiness. Staying in a calm and relaxed state is vital.

Wrap-up

How’s it going so far with your New Year Resolutions? Comment below or shoot me an email. I would love to hear about where you are currently in your journeys.

Talk to you soon

Andie 🙂