Nearly half of us made New Year resolutions, but less than 8 percent of us actually kept them. Whether it’s the lack of motivation, lack of resources, or we just lost interest, it’s time to make a fresh start and figure out ways to finish what we’ve started.

New Year, new resolutions

The first of January can be a great day to make all these predictions of your goals but the beginning of February might be a better date to roll them out. We now realize that we may have been aiming too high, New Year resolutions are great but it is never a good idea to try and force them into being in early January.

It’s better to implement these goals and changes gentle, over time, and in small doses. Unfortunately, very few people actually stick with their New Year resolutions for a wide variety of reasons. Some people are too busy, or the goal seems too far out of reach, and others simply forget why they even made New Year resolutions in the first place.

What made you give up?

Just over 1 month in, and things have already gone downhill. So what made you give up, and how do you get back on track? We need to remember to cut ourselves some slack. Often times, we make these New Year resolutions with a superficial reason in mind.

You want to start working out because you want to lose weight, or your goal is to start eating cleaner in an effort to get a beach body. However, if you look a little bit deeper, you can find a more meaningful reason for committing to your New Year’s resolution and this can help you stick with it.

We have to focus on the big picture

Instead of just focusing in on one area of your life to improve, zoom out and take a big-picture approach to complete wellness. If we’re being honest with ourselves, the main reason we pursued our goals of a healthier life is to feel happier and more fulfilled in our lives.

So, instead of working out or eating clean just to lose weight, make it your goal to exercise regularly so you can live a healthier, happier and stronger life. Whatever your resolution is, find a truly deep and meaningful reason for wanting to achieve it, and you’ll feel more encouraged to do just that.

Align your goals with your core values

For example, is your goal to lose 10 pounds in alignment with your core value to be healthy? If the way in which you’re going about losing weight is unhealthy, you will feel in conflict and likely be unsuccessful in your weight loss efforts.

To reconcile this, you can design a weight loss plan that feels nourishing and respectful to your body so you don’t feel any part of you in resistance to losing weight. It’s nearly impossible to reach a goal if you feel like you’re fighting with or dishonoring yourself along the way.

By aligning with your values, you can streamline your efforts to achieve success much more. So, if you’re lacking some motivation this New Year, don’t beat yourself up about it! It’s simply time to reassess your original enthusiasm in light of your recent struggles, and try again!