3 Ways To Stay Committed To Your Wellness Goals
It’s that time of year when it gets harder to stay committed to your goals and resolutions. It’s easy to start looking for reasons and excuses to give up. They’re everywhere and not very hard to find.
Let’s face it, change is hard, and it has been made even harder than ever in today’s climate. It’s just easier and more comfortable to stay put, eventhough you know it’s not what’s best for you.
So how then are you supposed to stay committed to your goals in the face of all this adversity.
Here are 3 actionable ways to stay committed to your wellness goals, this year and every year:
1 - Check in with yourself
When you find yourself backing away from your goals and breaking your promises to yourself, ask yourself some difficult questions and investigate further.
Ask yourself:
Is this something I really want?
Does it align with my wellness vision?
Does it align with my intrinsic motivators (my why)?
If the answers to these questions was no, then maybe it’s not the right goal for you, for two reasons:
You may not be ready to commit to this goal at this time;
It’s not something you truly desire for yourself in this moment of your life;
This usually happens when we set goals based on what others want us to do, instead of what is truly in our hearts. If this is the case, it won’t matter how grand and well meaning the goal is, you’ll be hard pressed to make it happen.
If the answers to the above questions was yes, then ask yourself this:
Do I feel deeply connected to this goal?
If yes, why am I holding back? Is it self sabotage? Is it self doubt? Is it fear? Is it a lack of resources, time, support, knowledge? Dig deep until you have an answer. It may not come immediately, but the answers are there if you open yourself up to seeing them. If the issue is your mindset, check out my article with 4 ways to shed the all or nothing thinking.
If not, what adjustments can I make to the goal to improve that connection? Maybe the way you’ve framed the goal and actions doesn’t quite fit with your lifestyle and personality. You shouldn’t have to turn yourself and your life upside down and inside out to make positive changes. Yes, they should challenge you, but they should also be achievable.
2 - Actively look for reasons to stay committed instead of focusing on reasons to give up
Like I said before, change is hard and it’s easier to stay in your comfort zone. Excuses are everywhere and you barely even have to look for them. So if you find yourself making excuses and looking for reasons to give up on your goals, promises and commitments to yourself, stop and reflect.
Journal your way back on track. Writing your thoughts out is really therapeutic, as it helps you clear your mind, put things in perspective, and help you make connections you otherwise would have missed.
Remember your why. Remind yourself why you set out to achieve this goal, why you made this promise and why you are looking for change. Your intrinsic motivators, when well articulated, are essential to keeping you going even when willpower and motivation have left you hanging.
Imagine the possibilities. Imagine how you will feel, think and act once you’ve achieve your goals. Think of the desired feelings you set out during the goal setting process. If you haven’t been through this yet, go back and do the exercise now. It’s a powerful and life changing way to set goals.
3 - Hold yourself accountable but give yourself a break
Accountability is about following through on a commitment, in this case, to yourself. It means acknowledging that you’ve made a promise to yourself and doing everything in your power to keep that promise, because you are worthy and deserving of it.
It’s an important cornerstone to achieving your wellness vision and goals.
Holding yourself accountable however, isn’t about shaming, blaming and guilt tripping yourself whenever things get difficult, you lose motivation and get off track. These things are inevitable and to be expected. Give yourself a break, acknowledge and accept your humanity, and take corrective action that will get you back on track. Steps 1 and 2 above a great place to start.
There are two levels of accountability:
Accountability to yourself. Checking in with yourself, journalling and self coaching are all important aspects of staying accountable to yourself.
Accoutnability to someone else. This can be a friend, a life partner, a family member, someone in your community with similar goals and asipirations, a group of people like a Facebook group you are a member of, or a wellness coach. Setting recurring check ins or appointments with another person is a great way to keep you accountable and committed to doing the things you say you are going to do.
Are you struggling with commitment these days?
Which one of these tips are you going to try first?
Leave me a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram and let me know!
xo Nissrine
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