Why should you fear January 19th? That's the day most people give up on their fitness resolutions, according to a Stanford University study. Remember when you were going to hit the gym for an hour before work? You were going to go all vegan, banning meat, fish, fowl and dairy from your life? Bike to work at least 3 days a week? Run 10 miles every Saturday?
These goals seemed so do-able on January 1st and yet by the 19th, they will be history.
What to do about this sorry state of affairs?
Re-think the "all or nothing" trap you fell into. Change doesn't have to be all or nothing. In fact, it shouldn't be. That sort of thinking doesn't lead to success. And you want to succeed, don't you? That's why you made those resolutions.
So back to the drawing board. Starting thinking small. Yes, small.
This is a secret that most successful people already know. And you can adopt it too. Scale down your goals. Want to lose five pounds? Maybe you've identified that "late night snacking" is your kryptonite.
Establish a "kitchen is closed" routine after dinner. Get the snack dishes out of the den! No more night noshing. Try it for a week or two and check the scale. Seeing even a small loss will inspire you to keep going. One of my friends took up needlepoint to avoid snacking while she watches British mysteries in the evening. And let's face it, it's hard to do needlepoint with orange Cheeto fingers!
Good luck and think small!
By Mary Kennedy