
That’s it, it’s January! The month of good resolutions: get back into sport, go on a diet, stop smoking…
All these good intentions are usually made at the start of the year, only to disappear very quickly. Here are five tips for keeping them for longer.
It’s true that the start of a new year is a good time to take stock, start new things, put an end to bad habits… But as we all know, most good intentions fall by the wayside within a few days, or even a few weeks…
How does this happen? It’s very likely that not all the ingredients for a good resolution are present!
Five ingredients are needed to make them a reality: a clear intention, a clear why, an action plan, a way of measuring progress and, finally, a little courage and patience.
A precise intention
The statement ‘I should do more sport this year’ isn’t very precise. What’s more, all the ‘I should’, ‘it would be nice’, ‘I must’… are not intentions but sound more like obligations or distant dreams, far too vague for a good resolution. ‘I’m going to do 2 sessions of 1 hour’s sport a week’, for example, is already a more precise, defined and concrete intention.
A clear why
All that remains is to define a ‘why’, which should be more important than all the good reasons not to do it! ‘I know it’s good for me and gives me energy. I’m fitter and in a better mood with 2 hours of sport a day’. A clear ‘why’ helps you to stay on track and remember the reason for your good resolution, in case of doubt or slump.
A real action plan
Next, let’s not forget the action plan. We need to fit in the two hours of sport. On what day? What day? With whom? If you don’t plan it in your diary, it’s likely to fall by the wayside very quickly. So get organised to remove any constraints that might prevent you from taking action or allow you to find a good excuse not to keep your resolution.
A measure of your progress
It’s important to measure and/or visualise your progress so that you can see how far you’ve come, especially if the resolution takes time. Here are a few examples: the number of sports sessions per week, the weight on the scales or the family time planned over the month.
A little courage and patience
It’s not easy to change our habits. It takes repetition and therefore time. It takes a bit of effort at the beginning to get into action. It also takes a bit of courage to stick with it over the long term. Patience is often required to achieve the desired results. So give yourself time to achieve your good resolutions, without giving up at the first sign of trouble…
It’s up to you now !
And if you would like a little bit of support in keeping your 2025 resolutions, I can definitely help you. Here is a link to book your discovery coaching session.