The Healthy, Achievable Goals to Set for 2021

2021 is all about focusing on yourself in every capacity – your health, fitness and mental wellbeing. As last year was so filled with uncertainty and anxiety for all of us, it is really important to set yourself goals that you can actually achieve this year instead of setting unrealistic targets that you’re unlikely to hit, which will result in you feeling even worse than before.

Here are our recommendations of some healthy intentions to set for yourself this year.

No more fads

Fad diets are SO 2000s. January, as always, has brought with it a number of 30 day and 6 week challenges, which can be great for kickstarting your motivation but tend instead to lead to overtraining and undereating and then a massive backstep. You are so much more likely to give up as your body just needs a break! It is SO much more sustainable to focus on consistency every single day or week, making small changes you can stick to. These strict challenges tend to lead to negative self-talk and feelings of failure, which we really don’t need more of this year. Focus on the basics instead – fuelling yourself and moving your body, before you buy into the next fad. 

For example, if you know your breakfast is high in sugar or leaving you reaching for an unhealthy snack mid morning, try a more filling, nutritious alternative for more energy and fewer empty calories. E.g. switch the sugary cereal for a bowl of wholegrain porridge with fruit or honey. 

Prioritise mindful activities

This can look different for everyone – it could be a daily meditation using Headspace, a nightly stretch routine, reading a chapter of a book every night or running yourself a bath. These kinds of mindful activities are key for resetting the body and mind, giving yourself time to breathe and just be. It will make you a better parent, partner and friend, so don’t neglect this!

Take advantage of your mornings

Morning routines became much more talked about in 2020, and for good reason. Your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, so if you start it in a positive and proactive way, you’re much more likely to have a productive day. Getting your daily exercise done in the morning, whether that’s a walk or a workout with your personal trainer, it will set yourself up for a fantastic day, as you’ve already taken one step towards bettering yourself. And don’t forget to make your bed! 

Create new habits

It is all about the things you do day in and day out that really get you those results. Think about some new habits you want to set yourself this year – it could be reading a chapter of a book every night or going on a 30 minute walk every morning while listening to a podcast. A great tip to remain consistent with these habits is to connect them with other tasks or existing habits – such as stretching while your dinner cooks – they will soon feel automatic and like non-negotiables. 

Retain perspective

It can be all too easy to focus on the tiny things that are going wrong that you can’t seem to nail, like eating a little bit too much chocolate or finding it difficult to get your screen time down. Remember – it’s about the big picture here. Small daily actions will lead to long-term progress, but don’t push yourself to change everything at once or punish yourself when you struggle. We are all human and this is a weird time, so give yourself some leeway.

Connect with someone every day

This has become more and more important during the pandemic, as well as even trickier! But human connection is fundamental to us feeling our best, so make it your goal to talk to someone every single day, whether it’s a check in with your mum, an evening FaceTime with your best friend or a hug with your child.

Simple, and small actionable 2021 intentions that will actually make you feel better about your progress!