January 9, 2023

It’s a new year and you may be thinking about getting a fresh start, starting something new or figuring out how to make your goals achievable. Whether it’s a goal related to exercise, nutrition, or overall wellness, it can be difficult to stay motivated and on track as the month wears on, especially in colder climates where weather can have an impact on travel. Also, New Year’s Resolutions – regardless of how simple or hard – often have a way of setting ourselves up. Why not forget the resolutions and think about your own reality and make it work that way? 

As a physical therapist and a Pilates instructor, I often see people struggling to stick to their New Year’s resolution goals past the first few weeks of January. As a business owner, I also see principles of management that can be applied to help stick with a wellness plan. 

If you’re finding it hard to stay committed to your goals as we approach the end of the month, here are a few easy tips that may help you make it past January 31 and beyond:

Set realistic goals: It’s important to set goals that are achievable and realistic, rather than setting yourself up for disappointment. Break your goals down into smaller, more manageable steps and celebrate each step along the way. And a key management principle: embrace uncertainty, don’t avoid it. This will help with the questioning you might have about achieving goals. 

Find a support system: Whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a coach, having someone to support and motivate you can make a big difference in your ability to stick to your goals. At MindBody PT, whether we’re doing Pilates at home or small class sizes, our community helps keep us connected and accountable. 

Make a plan: Don’t leave your goals to chance – create a specific plan for how you’ll achieve them. This might include setting aside time each day for exercise, planning healthy meals in advance, or scheduling regular check-ins with your support system. Pulling a page from Management guru Peter Drucker, stop and reflect on your second act or what you might do in the future. This is time dedicated 

Stay flexible: Don’t be too hard on yourself if you fall off track. Life happens and sometimes our best-laid plans go awry. Remember that it’s okay to take a break or adjust your goals as needed. 

Keep it fun: Finally, try to make your goals enjoyable rather than feeling like a chore. Find activities that you enjoy and go ahead and mix it up. Learning new things, new types of exercises and activities not only helps with your fitness goals, but it also gives your brain a workout. One of our Pilates clients is over 90 years old…there is always time to learn new things and have fun! 

Creating some structure around your goals will provide guideposts to help make your resolutions a reality not just for the first few weeks of January, but for the whole year ahead.