Don’t abandon your New Year’s Resolutions
|Published
As we move through February, many of us may have already given up on our New Year’s Resolutions. According to research by John C Norcross from the University of Scranton in the US, a quarter of those who make resolutions will abandon them after a week and only 19% of resolution-makers stick to their goals for two years.
Recognising the pitfalls that often accompany ambitious resolutions, Nuts About Cooking – a brand of coconut oil and non-stick spray made from Mozambique-grown coconuts – asked holistic transformational coach Claudia van Schalkwyk for her advice on how we can stick to the wellness goals that were set at the beginning of the year.
“I always tell my clients that to make a long-lasting impact on their well-being, they should go slowly and steadily,” says Claudia. “The problem is that we didn’t set our habits overnight, so why do we expect change to happen immediately? We need to have more patience with ourselves.”
Claudia is a long-time Nuts About Cooking collaborator who has curated the brand’s 21-day Health Reboot Challenge, a good starting point for those looking to make a positive change. The reboot was created to inspire participants to make mindful choices while providing practical resources such as workout routines, meal plans and recipes, some of which feature coconut oil. Coconut oil has become a staple for many in the wellness and fitness community as it is vegan friendly and rich in beneficial medium chain triglycerides. Nuts About Cooking’s range of coconut oil and non-stick spray is fully refined and free of additives.
HOW TO STAY ON TRACK
We asked Claudia for her top tips on how to stay motivated and stick to the wellness goals that we set for ourselves:
· Set an intent for your day. If you start your day in this focused way, it will help you make choices that honour that intention.
· Don’t set unrealistic goals. Attainable daily goals put us on a positive path and help ensure that we never feel like we’ve failed.
· Fear of the unknown will always cripple our motivation to stay focused on our goals. Your energy flows where your focus goes, so don’t allow fear of the unknown to stop you from becoming a better version of yourself.
· Accept your body. Transformation can only happen once we accept our own foundation.
· Don’t compare yourself to anyone, especially on social media. Focus on elevating your foundation and working on achieving your own goals.
· Your mind is the biggest muscle you will ever build. Focus on renewing your mind daily through journaling.
· Don’t follow strict diets. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and stay hydrated.
· Movement is key to your overall well-being. Find something you can have fun with and notice how it becomes a lifestyle rather than a chore.
· Be patient and gentle with yourself. We as humans, have a microwave mentality – we want things to happen quickly, but change can take time.
To start the reboot challenge, click here: https://nutsaboutcooking.co.za/health-reboot/
Saturday Star
norman.cloete@inl.co.za