Why do we set New Year’s resolutions? Why only at the beginning of the year? Why bother?
Its human nature to want to strive towards a better life an easier life. We love setting goals, getting excited and motivated and thinking big and how much better things will be "if I do this thing" - This is my year! But then the holiday is over and a few weeks into the year we've already forgotten what we had so excitedly sought out to achieve.
Why does this always happen. Unrealistic or unachievable goals. No actual planning took place to mark out how you were going to get there. No time was set aside. You just didn't make it important enough and now its forgotten.... next year I'll try again.
It doesn't have to be that way. Here are some tips to help you stay on track.
Write down all your resolutions
Number them in order of importance
Get specific - Pick one resolution to start with
Get planning - How are you going to achieve this goal - what needs to change? How much time do you need to set aside - a day a week a month?
Set smaller targets - By the end of the week I need to have completed tasks 1 - 3 and then reassess each week if you are staying on task or if your plan needs to be adjusted.
Resolution wins - celebrate what your getting done. You might not have reached the end goal but celebrate the changes and effort you have achieved weekly. This feel good moment will keep you motivated for the next week.
Think about why this failed last time. What shouldn't you do again. What happened that caused you to lose focus. Write it down.
Keep a journal of your progress and how you feel achieving the steps or if you missed a task, why and how did that make you feel. Reflection is a wonderful part of this journey. Write it down so you don't forget.
Get support - Ask friends and family to help you along your journey or if your goal is something like a weight loss plan then find an accountability partner. There is nothing better then having someone you need to feedback to to keep you on track.
Be Kind Be Flexible - Its like any new change or new habit. It takes time to adjust. Be kind and flexible with yourself this will ensure you stay the course and don't give up. You will see that often the journey to your goal has so much more meaning and value than the end result. Its all the small changes, sacrifices and hard work that mean the most and leave an imprint for future resolutions.
In my next post I'll share some of mine and how I plan to achieve them. Until next week - Be kind to yourself and others,
Jennifer
XOXO