Hi loves, welcome back to Lavendaire.
So, how are your new year’s resolutions going?
Be honest: Have you given up on them yet?
By now, the excitement of new year has died down
and a lot of us have already given up on our resolutions.
Today (January 17th) is actually known as "Resolution Ditch Day"
where people ditch their resolutions because they’re too hard to follow.
It’s all too common, but friends – let me show you a better way.
In today’s video, I’m sharing how to actually stick to your new year’s resolutions
and achieve your goals this year,
instead of falling off and giving up completely.
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First, let’s understand the reality of WHY we fail or give up in the first place.
Here are just some reasons:
We set unrealistic resolutions.
We overwhelm ourselves.
We fail to set up systems for success, AKA habits.
We get busy, and allow other things take priority.
We focus on the WHAT instead of the WHY.
Knowing this, let’s talk about how to set yourself up for success
to stick to your new year’s resolutions and goals this year.
Step 1: Build trust with yourself.
This first step is major.
You have to understand that you are only as good as your word to yourself.
Do you keep the promises you make to yourself?
If you say you’re going to the gym each day this week, will you actually?
If you’re the type to make a promise or commitment to yourself,
and easily break that promise,
then you’ve probably lost trust in yourself.
Without this trust in yourself, you lose confidence in your promises.
No matter how many times you say you’ll do something,
YOU, yourself, are not even sure if you will do it.
You can’t trust yourself.
You’ve got internal trust issues,
and that is not a solid foundation you can build upon.
In order to build up that trust,
you have to begin keeping the promises you make to yourself.
Actually follow through on the things you say you will do.
And the best way to do that is to start small.
Only make promises you know 100% you can keep.
Step 2: Prioritize and focus down.
The problem with new year’s resolutions is that we like to set too many goals,
and then we try to attack them all at once, come January.
We expect that it’s possible to adopt 10 new habits right off the bat.
If you really want to create sustainable change,
prioritize the most important resolution or goal and focus on that one first.
Work on one at a time.
Do what’s manageable and possible.
Be realistic and not idealistic when determining how much to take on.
Don’t overload yourself with too many commitments at once,
because you’re going to get overwhelmed and give up completely.
It’s better to start small, focus on one important goal at a time,
and go slow instead of fast.
It’s okay to aim for a slight challenge,
but remember you’re going for sustainability for the long term.
For example: I committed to eating plant-based
for the first 10 days of the year.
I’ve been eating about 80% plant based for the past few months already
so I’ve built my habits up to this point.
10 days is a time frame I’m confident I can do,
but will also be a slight challenge to give myself a little push.
After I’ve got that down for 10 days,
then I’ll add a new challenge to focus on:
daily meditation for a week.
So, comment below with your one resolution or goal
that you will work on FIRST this year.
The next tip to stick to your resolutions is to make it extremely easy.
You have to make your resolution extremely easy to do,
in order for you to do it and keep that promise to yourself.
Instead of telling yourself “I will work out every day,”
ask yourself: “Okay, what is the most do-able version of this resolution
that I am 100% confident I can commit to?”
Maybe it’s “I will work out once a week”
or even “I will work out once a month”.
It might sound measly and unimpressive
because it’s so easy – and that’s the point.
Start with a routine you KNOW you can follow,
and once you get that down, you can add more and build up from there.
The point is to create a habit that you can confidently commit to.
For example: I’ve been meaning to straighten my teeth again this year,
so I want to thank SmileDirectClub for sponsoring this video.
SmileDirectClub makes it so easy to straighten your teeth at home.
I love how streamlined the process is.
If you guys don’t know, SmileDirectClub is a company
that sends you clear aligners to straighten your teeth
for 60% less cost than other options.
They straighten smiles gently, remotely, and in an average of 6 months.
This is what the clear aligners look like.
Clear aligners are basically custom-made, clear, plastic trays
that gently shift your teeth over time —
kind of like braces, but without all the metal.
How it works is: You can either go in
for a 3D scan of your teeth at your local SmileShop,
or do an at-home impressions kit.
Then, a licensed dentist or orthodontist will review your teeth,
and create a unique smile plan for you.
Finally, your box of custom-made clear aligners
and accessories are shipped directly to you.
They make it so easy to follow —
all you have to do is switch out your aligners each week,
and send progress pictures every 90 days for review.
No need to go into the dentist’s or orthodontist’s office for checkups.
It’s all done remotely, so it’s super convenient.
Some of you might recall that I did SmileDirectClub back in 2018.
I purchased it on my own, went through the whole process,
and really loved the experience,
from the quality to the branding to how easy it all was.
That’s why I was so happy when they reached out to work with me this year.
Because I didn’t wear my retainers like I was supposed to (which is my bad),
my bottom teeth started moving a little since then.
That’s why I’m happy for this opportunity
to straighten my teeth again with SmileDirectClub.
Anyway, lesson learned: Wear your retainers!
So if any of you guys are interested in straightening your teeth with SmileDirectClub,
you can get $100 off your clear aligners using my promo code on the screen
and signing up at the link in the description below.
Moving on, the next tip to stick to your resolutions is to be specific, and break it down.
Sometimes we set resolutions that are too vague,
and so we haven’t determined exactly how to take action on them.
In order to know what to work on,
your resolutions or goals should be: specific, actionable, and measurable.
Consider the resolution: “I want to eat healthier.”
It’s very generic, vague, and can mean a lot of things to different people.
A better way to tackle this resolution is to break it down
and be specific about how you want to eat healthier.
It’ll even help to ask the questions:
How, what, where, when, and why - regarding your resolutions,
so you have more details that will help you make them happen.
Instead of “I want to eat healthier,” you could break it down to:
“I will grocery shop and meal prep healthy meals on Sundays.”
Or “I will do meatless Mondays.”
Or “I will eat at least one fruit every day,” and so on.
After getting more specific: Take a small step, today.
Too often, we set goals that we want to achieve,
but procrastinate on taking action on them.
We let these goals float around in the mental realm,
but never set them down in reality.
We think more than we do.
The key tip here is to take a small action TODAY,
because ANY action is better than no action.
After you break down your goal or resolution into smaller steps,
make it a point to take action on that goal immediately.
Taking action builds momentum.
Even if you don’t do anything major,
taking a small step in the right direction will motivate you to keep going,
to do more, and make progress towards your goal.
The next tip to stay committed is to reduce friction between you and your goals.
Friction means anything preventing you from taking action on your goals or resolutions.
Ask yourself: “What is blocking me from taking action on this resolution or goal?
What usually stops me?
What excuses do I typically make?”
Then you can ask: “How can I help remove or relieve those blocks?”
Sometimes, it’s as simple as placing things in plain sight
to remind you of your goals and intentions.
For example, setting your workout clothes out the night before.
Putting a book in your bag to remind you to read during downtime.
Or just sticking reminder notes in the places you need them.
You also want to have the mindset to keep trying.
Most people give up on their goals or resolutions
for the many reasons we mentioned earlier in the video.
The simple thing that sets successful people apart
from unsuccessful people is resilience.
To be successful at keeping your resolutions,
you must keep trying, and keep picking yourself back up after you fall down.
If you’re trying something new, taking a risk, or pushing for change,
it’s inevitable that you will meet with failure.
Only if you stop at failure, will you actually BE a failure.
But if you just see failure as a bump in the road,
an obstacle you must overcome,
then you can persevere and eventually succeed.
Patience, perseverance, and resilience is so important.
It’s okay to fall, but just pick yourself back up and keep going.
It also helps to connect with others to support each other to keep going!
So if you want, share this video with someone
you want to support and encourage to stick to their goals.
Another freeing step is to reevaluate and let go
of goals that are no longer aligned with you.
One of my favorite things to do is to declutter my life—
not just the physical things, but mental things too.
I take time to reflect and re-evaluate what’s working
and what’s not working in my life.
What goals are still valid, and what goals could I let go of?
It’s not about giving up –
it’s about re-evaluating your priorities and what matters to you most,
and then letting go of what doesn’t serve you anymore.
Use this time to reevaluate your new year’s resolutions or goals,
and keep only the ones that are aligned and important to you.
Finally, remember to be gentle with yourself.
Don’t be too hard on yourself or beat yourself up
if you don’t meet your high expectations of yourself.
Change and growth is a process.
Don’t force it, and don’t expect perfection.
Embrace your imperfection and celebrate any progress you make.
Acknowledge your small wins.
You should be enjoying the journey as it’s happening—
enjoying the process of learning, growing, and redefining yourself—
rather than living for an ideal future you have in your head.
Remember that you are evolving with time
and it might not be noticeable in the day to day,
but you’re doing this for the long game.
Over the course of a year, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you’ve grown.
If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up to support.
For more ideas on how to improve your life this year,
check out this next video on the 5 Positive Habits That Will Change Your Life.
Thanks so much for watching and I’m sending you so much love.
Bye!