How to Stick to Your Goals in the New Year

Eating healthy, setting realistic goals, and planning!

When one-year passes and another is upon us, it’s inevitable that we look back on the months and assess our accomplishments, often coming up with all the things we will do better in the new year. This is a time of growth, learning, and strategic planning. Whether you want to get in shape, eat healthier, or advance your career, staying motivated and on track can be challenging. Here are a few tips to help you stay focused and achieve your goals in the new year:

1. Set clear and specific goals: Instead of setting vague goals like "lose weight" or "eat healthier," try to be more specific. For example, "lose 5 pounds by March" or "eat two servings of vegetables at every meal." Specific goals are easier to track and give you a clear target to aim for.
2. Make a plan: Once you have your goals in mind, creating a project is essential to help you achieve them. This might include setting aside specific times for exercise, meal planning and grocery shopping or setting up a system to track your progress. We like to map out our day using a daily planner and add little reminders wherever we can. This includes using post-it notes in the house and car, our google calendar on our phone, and to-do lists.
3. Stay organized: It can be easy to get sidetracked and lose sight of your goals if you're not organized. Consider using a planner or creating a to-do list to help you stay on track and keep your goals at the forefront of your mind. And try habit stacking! This is a trick where instead of overhauling your entire routine in one go (i.e., “In January, I’m going to work out, drink more water, eat vegan, and wake up early”), instead set one lifestyle change for each month so that they slowly stack on top of each other. 
4. Find accountability: It can be helpful to have someone to hold you accountable for your goals. This might be a friend, family member, coach or mentor. Having someone to check in with can help you stay motivated and on track. This could be a workout buddy or partner with which to cook healthy meals. 
5. Celebrate your successes: It's important to celebrate your victories, no matter how small they may seem. This could be as simple as rewarding yourself with a movie night after a week of sticking to your exercise plan or treating yourself to new workout gear after hitting a weight loss milestone.

Eating healthy is a major aspect of many people's new year's resolutions. Chickpeas are a great option if you're looking to incorporate more healthy, vegan foods into your diet. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a type of legume high in protein, fibre, and nutrients like iron and folate. They're also low in fat and calories, making them a healthy and satisfying choice.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate chickpeas into your diet. They can be added to salads, roasted and eaten as a snack, or used to make vegan dishes like hummus or falafel. Chickpeas are also a great source of plant-based protein, making them a good option for those following a vegan or vegetarian diet. You can even purchase premade chickpea snacks like our Chickpea Bites which are vegan, gluten-free, and oh-so-delicious. 

In conclusion, staying on track with your new year's resolutions can be a challenge, but it's possible with a bit of planning and organization. By setting clear and specific goals, planning, staying organized, finding accountability, and celebrating your successes, you'll achieve your goals in the new year. And don't forget to incorporate healthy, vegan foods like chickpeas into your diet to help you stay fit and energized as you work towards your goals.