When January arrives, it comes along with the excitement of a fresh start-- as well as the pressure of setting a new batch of New Year’s goals. If this announcement leaves you with an immediate feeling of defeat, you aren’t alone. Forbes magazine quotes a University of Scranton study that concluded only 8% of us actually keep our resolutions. With odds like that, you may be wondering, “Why bother?”

But what if there was another way? Or at least a different perspective. We can still make positive, life-affirming changes but without the burden of a resolution. Take a step back and consider your intentions. Look at the big picture – what do you want your life to look like or really who do you want to be? Instead of setting specific end goals, consider revamping your lifestyle to match your vision.

Let’s take a look at some alternatives to new year’s resolutions to help you Become Unstoppable.

It’s Not Enough to Meet a Goal

Look at it this way. At some point, we’ve all used sheer will to achieve a fitness goal, yet more than likely, 92% of us lost our gains. Why? Because we didn’t create a lifestyle to support our new reality.

It’s not enough to achieve the goal; we need to develop ways to sustain it if we ever want to exit that never-ending wheel of resolutions. Come to think of it, those new year commitments might play a significant role in the way we tend to yo-yo in and out of fitness trends and diets in general. So, for a clear and easier path to the new you, think bigger.

It’s Easier and More Fun to Think Big

We get that a lifestyle makeover sounds like a much larger feat than committing to only one resolution but hear us out. Let’s say you want to lose five pounds of fat, (who doesn’t?) – it sounds simple enough, but thinking “eat less,” starts the year out with a feeling of deprivation and negativity. Negativity breeds lethargy and maybe even depression, and it’s hard to accomplish much of anything in such a heavy state. As such, it will make junk food and TV sound very appealing, and that’s not going to help you lose fat.

Goal setting is a good thing, you may just need to change or reframe your goals. Reframing the goal from “lose weight” to “enjoy a healthier lifestyle” surrounds you with exciting options and new adventures that, let’s face it, sound a lot more fun, positive, and realistic. This route comes with the creativity of trying new recipes, new classes, and making new friends with like-minded interests that result in a fitness tribe to encourage you all year long. It generates excitement and positive change that brings about the energy it takes to make good things happen in your life. Focusing on positivity will help you achieve that weight loss in a more natural, realistic, and easy-going way.

This approach is about making smaller, more manageable changes and setting short-term goals that add up to a bigger picture of how you see your best self. It’s more motivating and infinitely more sustainable.

Give it a shot in 2020 with these alternative ideas to starting the new year off right:

Find Inspiration and then Set Out to Learn from It

Start by looking for inspiration. Who has what you want? Is it a celebrity, boxer, friend, or maybe a coach that inspires you? Find a role model or two, and then learn all you can about how they live their daily lives. Each one has a routine that took years to cultivate but helped shape them into the person you admire today. Read their biographies, expert blogs and articles, and inspirational quotes for ideas of what to implement into your own life until you become the inspiration for someone else.

Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to set up informational interviews either; these are great for specific questions. Sure, you might not get your favorite celebrity on the phone, but a friend or sparring partner would be happy to share what they’ve learned. People that influence you have already done the work and blazed the trail. Learn from their experience, the good and the bad, and then apply it to your regular decision-making process throughout each day. Would Muhammad Ali have the fries or the fruit at lunch?

Work with a Coach

It’s not cheating to hire someone inspiring either. A Gloveworx coach is the perfect contact point because they keep a close eye on the industry’s powerhouses and are consistently learning from the best. They are trained professionals that put in the time and show up knowledgeable and ready to motivate. Find the right fit, and then do your part by becoming coachable to soak up everything they offer. You benefit from their education and experience, but also from what they’ve inherited from their own personal mentors and heroes.

Give this Year a Theme

Instead of another repetitive resolution, give this year a theme. Try one word that sums up what you want this year to be about, something like mindfulness. Then remind yourself daily that 2020 is all about practicing mindfulness. Setting and carrying out goals mindfully will allow you to appreciate the hard work, dedication, and skills that go into creating the life that you want. Mindfulness will help you lose that five pounds of fat without being obsessed with it. You’ll end up lighter and possibly happier because you went through the process mindfully and purposefully.

Choose a Mantra

This approach works as a phrase too. Think “I am kind” on a regular basis, and you really will be, even to yourself. Make it your daily mantra. Kind people treat their bodies well. They give it fresh, healthy food, adequate exercise, and stimulating mental activities. They enjoy their life and strive to maintain healthy relationships. A kind person is a person that lives in gratitude, and it’s impossible to have a bad year with that mindset.

Plus, it’s just good karma. As you are kinder to yourself and others, more resources and opportunities open up to you as a reflection of what you are putting out into the world. Like really does attract like, so move in the direction of who you want to be, and you’ll start creating the life that person lives.

Make This Year the Best Yet

Focus on your mindset this year and enjoy the journey. Embark upon a year of change that lasts forever. Challenge yourself to do something different and ignore the New Year’s hype. Throw out those tired resolutions and the burden they represent and go change your life. Join the tribe at Gloveworx and start your new year’s journey today!