Life these days seems to be in a constant state of change, but some things just stay the same. One frustrating example? The making then breaking of New Year’s resolutions. The biggest fall-off seems to happen right about now so we thought it would be a great time to show you some support. Here are our tips to help you keep your resolutions whether they are aimed toward improving yourself or your chiropractic practice.
Let go of willpower and discipline
Wait…that doesn’t sound right. Isn’t keeping resolutions all about willpower and discipline? Surprisingly not! We tend to think that the only way to keep self-commitments is to be enormously disciplined and to defeat our unhealthy impulses. It turns out people who keep their resolutions don’t see themselves as going to battle, so to speak. They keep their commitments through strong motivations like hope, excitement, passion, and curiosity. An article in the New York Times emphasizes this and shows that, for example, gratitude and compassion are strong motivators to change.
This means that people who consistently keep commitments are not just good at denying what they want, but by believing that the end goal will give them something they really want. If you’re committed to keeping your resolutions, don’t think about them in terms of giving something up and refocus instead on all that you’ll gain from keeping your resolutions.
Focus on benefits that resonate with you
Take a moment to reflect on your day-to-day life. Though you’re probably doing quite a few small things you don’t really want to do (come on, taking out the trash is no fun!), the majority of the things you do are things you really want to do.
In terms of New Year’s resolutions, you aren’t going to stick with it unless it’s something you really want to do. Take the example of eating healthier to lose weight. Think of all the benefits you will enjoy: improved health, increased mobility, and the added bonus of becoming stronger. If you were to write down all the benefits and compare them with the benefits of not eating better, which one is more appealing to you? If the resolution side of your list doesn’t appeal to you more than the other, you won’t change your habits. The main point here is that you have to focus on the benefits that spark excitement and interest rather than those that fill you with dread. Once you’ve found the benefits that resonate with you, it’s time to determine how to move toward those goals.
Take small steps to make big strides
Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? The same goes for accomplishing the goals you’ve set for yourself in 2020. Even if you have strong motivations toward accomplishing said goals, a loose statement of intention may be your undoing. Your goals should be specific, actionable, and enjoyable because you’ll be making choices centered on them every day. Creating simple daily habits will lead you to accomplish your bigger goals and provide you with motivation along the way.
We know setting goals is hard and keeping those commitments is even harder. To help improve your life, both personally and professionally, the coaches at ChiroDestiny offer support in a number of ways. To learn more about how we can help you find success, click here to schedule a free practice analysis.