I'm going to lose weight.
I'm going to be more charitable.
I'm going to wear makeup every day.
I'm going to be perfect!
I'm going to be... exhausted!
New Year, new you, right? The weeks leading up to Dec. 31, 11:59 p.m. can be full of excitement... or torture. You've declared your intentions to stick with it this time, but in the back of your mind, you know you won't make it to Jan. 31, 11:59 p.m.
It is possible to make positive changes in your life, and if starting the metamorphosis on the first day of a new year motivates you, that's great! Here are some tips to keep riding that motivational wave.
1. Hit the gym because you love your body and want to make it better, not because you want there to be less of you.
Don't think, "I must lose weight." Keep it positive by thinking, "I have thick Beyonce legs. I'm going to work on sculpting them today with some cardio." Don't focus on how little you can bench press. Instead think, "This weight training will keep my bones strong into my older years."
"The next time I lose grip on my cell phone and it falls into my lap, I'll be thankful for the non-existent thigh gap that did not let that phone crash to the ground," Positive-thinker Cece Olisa wrote.
2. Start Monday.
If you don't believe in New Year's resolutions, starting on a Monday helps clear your slate, whether you hope to drop weight, balance finances or stop smoking.
Also, if you do start on New Year's Day but stumble along your path to success, a Monday is a good time to start again on your journey.
3. Plan B guarantees a fail.
Having a backup plan can actually backfire, according to Time via MSN. Instead of keeping your goal in sight, having a Plan B can make failure seem acceptable.
4. Put your money where your mouth is.
Putting money down as a incentive could be a motivator. You and a friend could have a weight loss challenge where the winner (the weight loser) gets to pick the restaurant and the loser has to treat. Or, try a website like stick.com, that will help keep you honest with a Commitment Contract, to which you can add monetary stakes or a motivational Referee.
5. Break it down.
Instead of looking at a looming goal, chop that massive block into smaller tasks. If you want to read 24 books a year, break it down into 2 books per month, suggested Time. Goodreads is a nice website where you can find reading suggestions and keep track of your yearly book challenge progress.
George Wu, professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business, told Time that chopping challenges into manageable pieces is more gratifying than waiting for the final reward.
