New Year’s Resolutions: Why They’re Worth It and How to Make Them Work

think New Year’s Resolutions get an unnecessary bad rap. Sure, statistics exist showing that not many people keep them long-term, but that’s not because we shouldn’t be making them. It’s more that we often make them unrealistic and without a plan.

Resolutions and goal setting are interchangeable to me. Both are about the intent to do something great that will lead to a positive change in your life. But where people often miss the mark is in setting realistic goals and following through with proper planning and execution.

When I finally conquered those three elements, it was a game changer for reaching my goals.

For those of you who don’t know, I spent a significant portion of my life obese, with my highest weight being over 260 lbs. But that number on the scale wasn’t even close to the whole story. I was unhappy, unhealthy, and had zero confidence. I jumped from diet to diet, thinking that what I needed was a drastic change to transform my life and finally love who I was.

Boy, was I wrong.

Extreme changes worked for a while, but they inevitably didn’t last. Sometimes it was obvious; other times, it was a gradual decline. Comparing it to a roller coaster is appropriate, but I wasn’t enjoying the ride.

So what changed? How did I go from being obese, unfit, and unhappy to becoming a strong ultra-marathoner with more confidence?

I gave myself a f—ing break and stopped being so hard on myself.

I stopped worrying about every single bite I put in my mouth and let myself enjoy foods.

Instead of trying to run an entire 5K, I started with running for three minutes and slowly built from there.

I thought ahead more and questioned what I could do to make progress easier on myself.

I set action-based goals (instead of results-based ones), celebrated wins (even small ones), and worked to stop just seeing my flaws.

Instead of focusing on the one thing I did wrong, I looked at the nine things I did right.

My mindset shifted, and that mental change is what allowed all the physical changes to become possible.

Because January is a time when we naturally reset our minds, this month on the blog is going to be all about goal setting and how to create lasting change. I’ll be blogging weekly to share the lessons I’ve learned on my journey—lessons about realistic goal setting, planning, what to do when things go wrong, and the mental shifts that make all the difference.

Check back every Thursday for a new post!

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