Around this time of year we often hear that New Years Resolutions are stupid, pointless and unattainable. By now, we all know that the gyms are packed on the first day of a New Year and everyone laughs because it usually doesn't last for more than a week. Typical New Years Resolutions for many Americans tend to include getting in shape, eating healthier, or giving up alcohol and other "negative" activities in our life. However, for every ten people that drop their New Years Resolutions in a week, there's one person who didn't. The 10% of those people's lives changed forever because of that one New Years Resolution.
I am one of those people. I wholeheartedly believe in New Years Resolutions. In December 2014, I made a resolution that I've stuck with to this day. One that eventually led to a number of changes for me. It was during my senior year of college. So, what was my New Years resolution heading into the year 2015? It was to stop drinking soda, particularly coke. If you've read about me on this blog or on my Instagram, you know that I had a serious addiction with coke for many years. I drank around three cokes a day for over ten years, while being a competitive athlete. The damage I did to myself was irreversible and I struggle with numerous gut issues to this day due to this terrible dietary addiction I had. It was December 30th, 2014 when I decided it had to stop. I still had a pretty awful diet at this point, but I knew I wanted to at least stop drinking soda. Since that day, I have had under 5 cokes. It's been two years. New Years Resolutions aren't dumb.
Little by little, a little becomes a lot. This is something that can be so powerful for people during this time of year. So often we are trying to change everything in our lives at once. We want instant gratification when it comes to achieving new goals. I scratched that idea a long time ago when I decided I wanted to become a healthier individual. After multiple failed attempts, I knew I had to smart small in order to get to the place I'm at today. Six months after giving up soda, I made another small change. Dealing with numerous digestive issues made me delve into a lot of holistic research on nutrition, which led to me reducing the amount of gluten (wheat flour) I consumed. Within a year, I had completely changed my diet and overall outlook on nutrition, health and wellness.
Preparing for 2016 last year had me reflecting on the small changes I had made during that past year in 2015. I was still no where near where I wanted to be, but I realized how far I had come in my journey of becoming a healthier individual. None of this would've ever happened if I didn't start with a small resolution of giving up soda two years ago. One small change can make a big difference. It did for me and it will for you. Start small and don't give up.
"5 degree shifts as opposed to 180 degree turns are keys to obtaining your goals" --Shannon Cassidy
Have a New Years Resolution you haven't stuck with the past year? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Try again. Something that remains on your heart for that long is something attainable. Something you desire for yourself that much is something worth sacrificing for. Failure is inevitable, so when you fail, don't beet yourself up ;) Just make a conscious effort to get back on track. Progress takes time. My advice for you is to start with small goals. For example, if your resolution is to eat healthier, do not cut out dairy, gluten, all processed food, sugar and sodium at once. That isn't an attainable goal. Start small. Set monthly goals for yourself and move forward from there. Limit the amount of days you eat "treat" meals. Maybe your goal is to cook more meals at home and eat out less. Maybe it's to buy low sodium foods or watch your artificial sugar intake. Maybe it's to increase your daily water intake. Maybe it's to exercise more or to limit alcoholic drinks.
Whatever it might be, always remember that little by little, a little becomes a lot. Small steps can lead to big changes. New Years Resolutions aren't dumb. They can and will change your life. Happy New Year 2017, I am rooting for all of you.
"Every pro was once an amateur. Every expert was once a beginner. So dream big and start now"
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