Unusual Strategies to Achieve Your New Year Goals in 2023!
As the new year approaches, many of us are thinking about the changes we want to make in our lives. One common resolution is to improve our health, whether that means eating better, exercising more, or taking care of our mental wellbeing. However, it can be challenging to stick to these resolutions and make lasting change. If you’re struggling to maintain your health-related New Year’s resolutions, here are some unusual strategies that may help:
1.Gamify your goals: One way to make your health goals more fun and engaging is to turn them into a game. For example, you could set up a rewards system for yourself where you earn points or prizes for reaching certain milestones. You could also create a leaderboard with friends or family members and compete to see who can make the most progress. Gamifying your goals can add an element of competition and make your resolutions feel more achievable.
Try the adult version of the marble jar reward system
The marble jar is a visual representation of progress and rewards that can be used to motivate and encourage positive behavior in adults. It involves using a jar or other container and filling it with marbles (or other small objects) as a way to track rewards associated with positive changes.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose a behavior you want to encourage: This could be anything from exercising regularly to eating healthier to practicing good habits like flossing your teeth or taking your medication on time.
- Set up your marble jar: Find a jar or other container that you can use to track your progress. You’ll also need a supply of marbles (or other small objects) that you can use to fill the jar.
- Establish a rewards system: Decide what rewards you’ll earn for reaching certain milestones. For example, you might earn a marble for every day you exercise, or for every week you eat a certain number of servings of fruits and vegetables. You could also set up a tiered rewards system, where you earn more marbles for reaching certain milestones, or where you earn larger rewards for reaching more difficult goals.
- Track your progress and collect your rewards: As you make progress towards your goals, add a marble to your jar for each reward you earn. You can also use the jar as a visual representation of your progress, by watching the jar fill up over time.
The marble jar is a simple and effective way for adults to track rewards and encourage positive behavior. It can help you stay motivated and on track, and can provide a sense of accomplishment as you reach your goals.
2. Use visualization techniques: Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. Here are some practical visualization techniques that adults can use to help achieve their health goals:
- Write down your goals and visualize them: Take a few minutes each day to write down your goals, close your eyes, and visualize yourself achieving your health goals. Imagine what it will feel like to reach your goals, and focus on the positive emotions and feelings that come with success.
- Create a vision board: A vision board is a collage of images, words, and other visual elements that represent your goals and aspirations. By creating a vision board, you can surround yourself with visual reminders of your goals, which can help you stay motivated and focused.
- Use guided meditation: Guided meditation is a type of meditation that involves following a recorded voice or script that helps you relax and focus your mind. Many guided meditations are specifically designed to help you visualize your goals and focus on positive outcomes.
By using visualization techniques like these, you can increase your chances of success in achieving your health goals. Remember to be consistent and patient, as it can take time for visualization to have a positive impact.
3. Seek support from an accountability partner/dietitian: Having someone to check in with and report your progress to can be a great way to stay motivated and on track. This could be a friend, family member, or a mentor or coach. A dietitian can be a very significant person in helping you achieve your health goals. A dietitian is trained to provide nutrition counseling and education, and they can help you develop a healthy eating plan that is tailored to your specific needs and goals. When you partner with a dietitian who is committed to supporting you and holding you accountable for your actions, it can be easier to stick to your plan and make positive changes to your diet and lifestyle. A dietitian can assess your current diet and make recommendations for changes, provide guidance on how to make healthy food choices, and help you set realistic goals and track your progress. They can also provide support and encouragement when you face challenges or setbacks. Overall, working with a dietitian can be a valuable resource for anyone who is looking to improve their health and achieve their goals. They can provide the expertise and support you need to make lasting changes and achieve long-term success.
4. Make small, incremental changes: It can be overwhelming to try to overhaul your entire lifestyle at once, and this approach is often not sustainable in the long run. Instead of trying to make big changes all at once, focus on making small, incremental changes that are more manageable and sustainable. For example, if your goal is to eat healthier, try making one small change each week, such as eating one more serving of vegetables or cutting out sugary drinks. These small changes can add up over time and help you build momentum towards your long-term goals. Your dietitian can help you work out which changes will have a high impact on achieving your goals.
5. Use technology to your advantage: There are many apps and tools available that can help you track your progress, set reminders, and stay motivated. Consider using one of these tools to help you stay on track with your resolutions. For example, you could use a fitness tracker to monitor your physical activity, or an app that helps you track your food intake and provides healthy meal ideas. These tools can be especially useful if you’re trying to make changes to your diet or exercise routine, as they can provide valuable feedback and help you stay accountable.
There are many types of apps that can help people monitor their health and develop healthy habits. Some examples include:
- Fitness tracking apps: These apps help people track and monitor their physical activity, such as steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. They often also include features like workout tracking, goal setting, and social sharing.
- Nutrition tracking apps: These apps allow people to track their food intake including what they eat, when they eat it, and how many calories they consume. Some apps also provide nutritional information and recommendations for healthy eating.
- Sleep tracking apps: These apps help people track and monitor their sleep patterns, including the duration and quality of their sleep. They often include features like sleep soundly tracking and sleep cycle analysis.
- Mental health tracking apps: These apps help people track and monitor their mental health, including their mood, stress levels, and anxiety. They often include features like journaling, mindfulness exercises, and self-care tips.
- Medication tracking apps: These apps help people track and manage their medication schedules, including when to take their medications and when to refill their prescriptions. They may also include features like reminder notifications and dosage tracking.
- Health monitoring apps: These apps allow people to track and monitor various aspects of their health, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose levels. They may also include features like symptom tracking and health history tracking.
- Habit tracking apps: These apps help people track and monitor the habits they are trying to develop or break. They allow users to set goals for themselves and track their progress over time. Habit tracking apps often include features like daily reminders, streaks tracking, and progress tracking. Some examples of habits that people might track using a habit tracking app include exercising regularly, eating healthier, and practicing mindfulness.
Your dietitian can help you navigate the aray of technology that is available to you to help you achieve your goals.
By implementing these strategies, you can increase your chances of success in maintaining your New Year’s resolutions for health. Whether you’re trying to eat healthier, exercise more, or take care of your mental wellbeing, these strategies can help you stay motivated and on track. So why wait until the new year to start making positive changes in your life?
Start today and make this the year you achieve your health goals!
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Yours in health and wellness
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