How to Make a Resolution Stick

Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? Because they work, right? If you laughed when you read that, you’re not alone.  Just because we make a resolution on January 1^st doesn’t automatically mean it will stick. In fact, more often than not those New Year’s resolutions tend to fall off some time around, well, February.

This year, instead of changing what you resolve, how about changing why you want to make a resolution in the first place, and then set your goal around that.

Changing the way you make your resolution can help make it stick, to February and beyond. As originally posted on MyVega.com.

What’s a Resolution?

At the end of the day, it’s a goal. A milestone, something you reach or attain. It’s what you want.

What Makes a Successful Resolution?

Success is something different. It’s a feeling and it comes when you’re working towards the reason why, the motivation, behind your resolution or goal. It’s that feeling you get when you reach your goal, when you once and for all put your resolution to bed. The good news is that success can happen every day, on the road to reaching your goal. When you’ve got clarity on your motivation behind the goal and you make steps towards it, each step comes with the feeling of success.

Get Motivated  

Visualize what you want your life to look like at the end of 2016. As Vega Ambassador, Jamie Komer says; get real with yourself, really real. What do you see? What do you want to see?

For tips on how to get to the motivation behind your goal, and how to get to working on it follow her five easy steps:

1. Get real

• Why did you what ___ in the first place?

2. Set it

• What get you excited?

3. Write it down

• Pen to paper, old school, write it down.

4. Achieve it

• Create a list of milestones on the road to your goal.

5. Take action

• Stay accountable and stay motivated.

For the full steps, check out her post here.  Once you’ve read it, if you want more on goal setting check out our tips on creating SMART goals.

One Goal

Notice I’ve been saying goal, not goals. Get clear on what you want and why you want it then set your sights on one resolution, one goal around it. Say your goal is to lose weight. Good start. Now here comes the not-so-easy part. Knowing why that’s your goal, I mean really knowing why, even if it feels selfish or vain. That’s the kicker – getting clear on your motivation will help you not only define it, but also will help you to reach it.

Whether you want to lose weight for your health or if you just really want to fit into those jeans again (yeah, you know the ones) that’s all gravy. But simply saying you want to lose weight, picking an arbitrary number (10,15, 20lbs) and no end date (except, presumably by December 31 2016) will not help you reach any type of resolution. There’s no motivation behind it. Without the why it’s hard to get clear on how to get there.

Now, if your why, your real why, is that you want to fit into those jeans and wear them on your upcoming spring break vacation because you have the perfect outfit for that day on the boat. That day you can see in your mind. You can see yourself there, see your family around, feel the smile on your face and taste the sea air, you want that feeling. Wearing those jeans is all a part of that experience and your motivation is the experience of sharing that happy day with your family, while looking and feeling your absolute best. That’s a goal you can get behind and take action on. Once you have that clear goal it’s time to break it down into small changes, small milestones, you can do over time to help you reach it.

Simple Solutions to Stick to It

If when (yes – when) you uncover the why, the motivation, behind your resolution know that you’ve already achieved so much. That’s a huge step in the right direction. The next step is to take action and keep taking action. Take small steps, every day, to reach that goal. Do it for you. Once you set it, make it stick with these five steps:

1. Come from a place of love

• Open up to the idea of self-love, it’s not just for yoga retreats and empowerment workshops. It’s for every day, real life. Take your motivation from a place of loving yourself and you’ll reach those goals because you want to.

2. Break it down to small, attainable steps

• Set small steps you can take each day and build on them weekly to reach your goal. If your goal is to wear those jeans to your family vacation, one step could be starting the day, one day a week, with a nutrient dense green smoothie. Once that becomes second nature, move on. Maybe you’re ready for three green smoothies a week. Whatever it is, start small and build on it weekly from there.

3. Know that you can do it

• Yes, you can. Repeat after me…
  I got this. I can do it.
  A little louder now.
  I got this. I can do it.
  One more time, louder, for the people in the cheap seats. Say it.
  I got this. I can do it.
  Yeah you do and, oh kale yeah, you can.

4. Stay accountable

• Use Jaime’s tips or create ways of your own to stay accountable to your goal. My favorite way is to tell a friend your goal and the steps you’re taking to reach it. My friend, Tera, and I have weekly goal check-in calls. Yes it’s an excuse to chat on the phone (she’s in NYC and I’m in Vancouver) but we also hold each other accountable. Use someone for this that you know will support you when you lose sight of your goal, someone who will also be right there to make sure you get right back on track. No judgment, no enabling.

5. Celebrate it

• Celebrate those successes. Each step, each green smoothie is a reason to celebrate.

What does your resolution look like this year? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Bridgette’s Best: 3 Holiday Meal Hacks

Do you want to spend less time stressing and more time celebrating this holiday season?

With dinner parties, house guests and travel, commitments all add up but they don’t have to get you down.  Kick stress to the door with these holiday meal hacks that will turn holiday stress into holiday bliss. As originally posted on MyVega.com.

1. The Ultimate Holiday Meal Hack: Your Crockpot

Who needs to save the best for last? I’m starting this off with my number one holiday hack.  Have your crockpot do the cooking for you, for every occasion.

Breakfast: Company coming for breakfast? Want to whip up something quick for Boxing Day? There’s nothing easier than this Overnight Pumpkin Pie Slow Cooker Oatmeal recipe.

Lunch: You love the idea of something warm and comforting for lunch but it needs to be something you can whip up in a flash. This Slow Cooker Baked Bean recipe is perfect for a chilly winter afternoon paired with a simple salad and a slice of your favorite whole grain bread. If beans aren’t your thing, grab a Slow Cooker Freezer Pack the night before and drop it into your slow cooker for instant lunch.

Dinner: Celebrate all things pumpkin with this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili.

Holiday drinks: Need holiday drinks for a big party? Make Vegan Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider in your crockpot. Increase the recipes by your number of guests (party of 8?  Double up the Vegan Hot Chocolate recipe), add ingredients to your crockpot and cook on low for 2-3 hours (individual crockpot cook time vary), stirring occasionally.

Dessert: Meet your new favorite dessert, slow cooker Carmel Apple Dump Cake. Yes that’s right, dump cake can get easier. Simply layer the ingredients as you would in the original recipe and cook on low in your slow cooker for 4 hours. Your house never smelled so good!

2. Freezer-Friendly Hack

Extra coconut milk from your oatmeal? Make this Carrot, Avocado & Coconut Soup.

Veggie Broth from chili? Make this Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Apples from your dump cake? Make this Beet Apple Soup (my personal fave).

3. The Perfect Snack Hack Is….

Hard to think of?  I know. Sometimes picking foods to snack on between your big holiday meals can be harder than perfecting your Grandma’s secret pumpkin pie recipe.

And just like selecting the right ingredients for Grandma’s pie recipe, choosing the right snacks, ones that are low in sugar and combine protein with healthy fats, can make all the difference in helping you have the energy you need to take on the holidays.

The best snacks are the ones that offer you the nutrition you need, stress free, by requiring little or prep at all. What does that look like? I’ve got you covered with my top five nutrient-dense, grab-and-go snacks.

Leftovers: Yes, leftovers! Enjoy that Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili you had for dinner or find a new way to do leftovers with desserts and smoothies like this made from leftover sweet potatoes.

Chia Pudding: Satisfy your need for something chocolate-y with this simple chia pudding or for a no-cook and oh-so-festive dessert try this Pumpkin Gingerbread Chia Pudding.

Veggies  plus Dip: Spend 10 minutes chopping veggies and making this white bean dip, then store them in the fridge for a snack you can grab anytime (also makes a terrific appy, for any unexpected house guests).

Shake on the Go: Shake up Vega Essentials with unsweetened almond milk for a snack that combines 20 grams protein, 3 servings greens, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fiber, to help you feel fuller, longer.

PB&J Fruit Dip: With this protein-rich fruit dip on hand snacking will be as delicious as it is easy.

What’s your go-to holiday meal hack that makes your season merry and bright?

4 Ways to be Less Busy

How are you? Busy.

What have you been up to lately? I don’t even know, I’ve just been so busy.

Do you want to have dinner? Sure, how about….. a week from next Tuesday… no wait, two weeks, you know, I’m going to have to say no. I’m just so BUSY!

Ever had one of these conversations? I sure have, from both ends. While we are so fortunate to have so many opportunities and have so many loved ones who want to spend time with us sometimes it can all seem so, well, busy. Here are my top four ways to be less busy, without having to give up anything you love (except maybe your phone…but you’ll get that back, I promise), as originally posted on MyVega.com.

1. Put Your Phone Down

If you read last month’s post you may remember me mentioning that my fellow Vegatopian (aka Vega employee), and one of my life balance gurus, Sami, puts her phone on airplane mode periodically throughout the day. Well, since we last talked she’s upped her game and now she doesn’t let herself charge her phone throughout the day. She says “I start at 100% in the am, and that’s all the juice I’ve got for the day (until I plug in at night for the alarm).” If being sans phone every evening sends chills of panic down your spine, don’t worry. You can take a cue from her and try a digital detox once a week or even once a month. Simply unplug from your phone, computer, iPad, etc. for one (whole) day. You’ll be surprised just how much more connected you feel to the people and things around you. Heck, it might even feel so good you’ll want to do it more often.

2. Find Relaxing Activities

The easiest, most relaxing activity I can think of that can take you away from that crazy, overwhelming, busy feeling is breathing. Any time you feel overwhelmed, over-run or over-worked take it back to your breath. Stop what you’re doing and take 10 deep breaths. Inhale and exhale; that’s all you need to think about for those 10 breaths. This gives you a break from what you are doing and allows you to clear your mind. If you want to take it one step further try taking a few deep breaths and adding a quick yoga sequence to your morning routine.

3. Eat Well

What you put in is what you get out so why not put the best in? I recommend incorporating more on-the-go smoothies into your day. Why smoothies? They are quick, easy and can be jam-packed with nutrition so you get the best bang for your buck from your time and your nutrition. Challenge yourself to make one a day. I know that may seem steep but trust me, it’s just as fast as grabbing your daily coffee and can help you feel energized and ready to take on your day. If you’re more energized you may find that you’re more efficient at everything you do and you might not feel so busy. Remember that friend that wanted to go for brunch? Why not invite them over for one of these make ahead smoothies?

4. Set Office Hours

Technology has offered us the opportunity to work from home which can be a blessing and a curse. The temptation to just reply to one more email is real. I get it. If you work from home or have access to your work email from home it’s important to set office hours; otherwise you may end up feeling like you’re always working which exacerbates the feeling of being busy because you’re always on. There’s always one more thing to do. If your co-workers are used to getting emails from you at 10pm at night then understandably, that’s what they will come to expect. If that no longer works for you I recommend having a look at your schedule and setting clear “office hours” with yourself, your co-workers and even your family and friends. Let everyone know that you will be available Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm (or whatever works for you) for work and outside of those hours for fun and then stick to that. That will set expectations for everyone and will help you clearly define a work-life balance so that you can stop feeling so busy and start living your life.

How do you take busy down a notch? Let me know in the comments below.