Reality Check: Realistic Expectations for 2014 Resolutions

Posted by WinterWomen on Monday, January 13, 2014

Lose 10 pounds by February 1st. Cut sugar out of your diet completely. Spend two hours on the elliptical at the gym five days a week. Do these sound familiar to you? If these are your New Year's resolutions, we have some news for you, sister: you are going to start your year off feeling miserable! While we're all for setting goals for ourselves, it is important to set goals that are realistic to our lifestyle and that will not only improve our lives, but have a positive impact on our lives after January has come and gone.

While we are a little workout-crazy ourselves here at WinterWomen, we know that suddenly setting a goal to hit the gym every day for hours is not going to make us feel better and improve our overall fitness in a healthy way - especially if working out inside at a gym isn't even your cup of tea. Depriving yourself of something cold turkey (or forcing yourself to participate in something you're not too keen on to begin with) has the possibility to create resentment rather than success. Cutting sugar entirely out of your diet may sound great at first, but when you're feeling a little stressed and down - and you reach for that piece of candy for a little sugar pick-me-up - there is bound to be frustration because you've now "broken" your resolution. Look outside the box to create a New Year's resolution that is realistic, and that will lead to commitment and success.

Practical resolutions are about focusing on improving yourself rather than depriving yourself. The beginning of new year is the perfect time to re-evaluate who are we and to create goals to help better improve ourselves overall. So many of us women focus on ways we can improve our outer image, as the first resolutions that usually come to mind are about losing weight or dieting. While most of us probably are not 100% satisfied with our weight or diet, it's time to create goals on ways we can improve our inner self.

Need some help thinking outside the box with your resolution? Check out some of the current resolutions from around the office that we love right now:

• Become a better listener: We are constantly connected to technology through our phones, iPads, computers, and more. By focusing on putting down our phones more often, you can stay better connected to friends and family, which is a great way to be more aware of our surroundings, and to truly listen to what is being said (and done) around us!

• Take more risks: While there's an obvious comfort about staying within what's familiar, know that there's no way of knowing what's out there unless you take a risk and dive in headfirst. Don't be afraid to take the first step into new territory (relationships, friendships, business, you name it) - what do you have to lose?

• Take the time to be a better friend: Solid friendships take time, effort, and are a two-way street. Setting aside time during the week for coffee or lunch with your close friends is sure to keep you in high spirits.

• Think more positively: Life hands us sour lemons, and we all know it. Trying to maintain a positive mind everyday (even when life deals us the wrong cards) will lead to habitually happy thinking and a happy mindset. (Example: Didn't get that promotion you were hoping for? The new position required 10 extra office hours per week, so now you won't lose any time with your kids before and after school!)

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  Be open to new ideas and possibilities: Being open to trying new things is a great way to start off a new year. Try an intermediate class at the new hot yoga studio down the street, or sign up for a canvas and cocktails workshop after work with some pals- you'll have fun and open your mind to new experiences!
• Be a kinder stranger: Awareness of how we act towards strangers is something that can often be looked over. Treating everyone with respect is important. Small acts of kindness, like holding the door open behind you or saying "excuse me" in a busy store, are great ways to pass on positive vibes (which will hopefully be passed back on to you). And yes, even that guy who cut you off on the highway deserves respect (take a breather before lifting that finger!). Bad Karma is a - you know.

• Stress less: We can choose to be stressed out at all times, or learn to let go and calm down. There's nothing to gain by worrying all the time; many things are out of our control. Focus on relaxing in the evenings (there's nothing like a glass of wine and your favorite TV show!) to ease your mind and turn off that stress-meter.

• Be comfortable with yourself: In a culture that promotes perfectionism, this one is certainly a challenge. If today you're not where you thought you would be 10 years ago in your career or family life (white picket fence, hunky husband and two gorgeous kids has been replaced with 1-bedroom apartment shared with a roommate and her two cats), it's okay. Life throws curveballs, the economy goes up and down, and we go where life takes us. Learning to be comfortable with yourself, rather than feeling insecure and unhappy, can lead to a better overall feeling of happiness. When we start to evaluate what we don't have, we start to lose sight of what we do have.

• Get outside more: Learn to appreciate the outdoors during all four seasons. Take a nice evening walk in the summer after dinner (that daylight after 6pm won't last forever!), or a nice winter hike on a trail after a winter snowstorm. Getting outside and out of the house, even when it's really cold outside, can help us feel rejuvenated. Getting back in touch with nature and fresh air can help clear our minds, and is good for the soul!

Recently, I was enlightened by a yoga instructor who challenged us with "Try to be 1% better a day." This has resonated with me since then, and helped me understand the direction I want to take with my New Year's resolutions. Working to be 1% better a day - towards whatever personal goal we set for ourselves - is a recipe for success. Waking up every morning with the mindset to work on being 1% better at something is a lot easier, and more attainable, than trying to be 100% better at something in one day. No matter what resolutions you choose to be 1% better at - know that the small actions or thoughts do count.

Don't forget that resolutions can be created at any time of the year, so don't worry that it's already mid-January. What are some unique resolutions you have created for yourself this year? We'd love to hear in the comments below!

Categories: Health & Fitness

Tagged: health, fitness, womens health, happiness, mind, new years resolutions, soul