Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Setting the Stage for Success in the New Year

When I read this meme on social media I laughed out loud. New Year’s resolutions while well intended tend to burn out after a few short weeks leading to frustration and hopelessness. Success is rarely reached when we make huge changes in our lives; rather, the best way to achieve your goals is by making small doable changes daily. One of the best ways to set the tone for having a good day is to pay attention to your thoughts. Let this year be the year you become acutely aware of what you are choosing to think about. If you feel stressed and anxious most of the time and can only feel relaxed on weekends, you are most likely dwelling on anxiety producing thoughts. A great habit to develop for this New Year is to start each morning with some sort of spiritual practice. You can do whatever works for you but some ways to incorporate this are waking up and taking a few minutes of silence to focus on your breath. This simple meditation quiets your thoughts down and with enough practice you eventually develop a deep peace by quieting the mind. You don’t have to do this for hours a day, just one minute is better than nothing at all. Before the day gets hectic do some short meditation and set the intention of having a day that runs smoothly and effortlessly. Another great habit to start your day off with is prayer and thanksgiving. As you walk to the coffee pot or even in the shower, say out loud a list of things you are thankful for. This is a nutrient packed spiritual practice that will make you feel lighter and more positive, setting the tone for a day that is enjoyable. Before you set concrete goals to lose weight, drink less or eat healthier check in with yourself about what you believe. For example, if the goal is to get to the gym more, ask yourself what you believe about getting fit. If you believe going to the gym is one more thing you have to do and you find it exhausting then you are setting yourself up for failure. If you think eating right is boring and keeps you from enjoying life then you may have a few weeks of eating “healthy” but are setting yourself up for a huge binge because you believe you are depriving yourself of something good. If you think drinking less means a snoresville social life than you are setting yourself up to drink even more after abstaining for a short period of time. Once you examine the beliefs you have about health and wellness you can begin to slowly change your thoughts which sets you up to achieve your goals. If you are constantly walking around saying, “I hate the gym but I know it’s good for me” you are creating a negative energy and a block to achieving your goal. Try changing that thought to “I love the way I feel when I move my body and drink more water. I notice I feel better and have more energy.” “I love drinking less because I wake up clear headed and energetic. I love waking up feeling good.” These changes in thought patterns cue your brain and body to associate health and wellness as a positive thing in your life. You teach yourself to crave health instead of see it as a difficult obstacle in your life that demands lots of work and energy to achieve your goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure in the New Year. Start your day off with a spiritual multivitamin in the form of prayer, meditation and/or gratitude. Check in with yourself and explore what changes you would really like to make, identify what you believe to be true about making those changes and slowly change your beliefs to mirror your goals. Major lifestyle changes are rarely made by making unrealistic goals. Getting to the gym for one hour a day is probably not as realistic as committing to walking outside on your lunch break for 20 minutes. Break your goals down into small reachable daily goals. You will find that over time you develop daily healthy habits and before you know it you will have met your goal! You are worth it! Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College, PA. For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.