New Year, New YOU!
How to plan your goals for the new year
Happy New Year!
Another year done and dusted! It's a brand new year, which means that most of us are thinking about what we want to change. It can sometimes be daunting when our list of new years 'resolutions' is longer then our weekly shopping list. It's important for us to remember that the New Year isn't meant to serve as a catalyst for sweeping character changes, it's a time to reflect on your past years behaviours and promise to make positive lifestyle changes.
In a previous blog, I shared some tips on how to properly set and stick to your goals. I talked about how the term 'New Years Resolutions' is a buzz word that can make you crazy. There is a notion behind the term that people never stick to them. So from the beginning, we are setting ourselves up for failure because we know that come February, that rush of excitement to change has worn off.
Some of the biggest mistakes people make are setting goals that are too broad, too big, or just far too many.
Making a resolution to lose weight for instance, is too general as it doesn't give you anything to work towards, or a path that you can follow. We need to be specific. Give yourself something to work towards. You want to lose weight, how much? You want to get fit, how do you define fit?
Avoiding these pitfalls and adopting some strategies to stay on track can help you achieve these goals.
1. Be honest with yourself:
Many of us don't make goals out of what's meaningful or desireable to us. Instead, out of fear and guilt, we base them on what others have told us that we need to do. In doing this, we lose motivation fast, as the motivation itself isn't coming frm within, but it's coming from the outsider. This does not lead us to success. Figure out what's important to YOU so your goals come from within.
2. Stick to one thing:
Like I stated earlier, many of our new years 'resolutions' can be as long as our weekly shopping list. We want to get fit, break a habit, wake up earlier, learn to meditate, be a better person, read more books, socialise more. The list goes on and on. The more goals we set, the more we can be setting ourselves up for failure. Stick to one thing, master that, and then move onto the next. Try and focus on the goals that will benefit you in significant ways.
3. Chart your process:
Tracking is key. We have our goals, we have set ourselves a roadmap on how we aim to achieve them and now tracking is going to be that key to success. For me, crossing something off my to-do list is one of the most satisfying things. I feel a sense of accomplishment. Having a visual picture of your progress is helpful. If you can see that for you have marked off 3 days in a row where you have met your goals, the likelihood of you not wanting to break that on your fourth day is going to increase. Find out how you want to track your progress, and stick to it.
4. Be accountable:
Take steps to keep yourself accountable. Find a buddy who you can check in with every week with an update on your progress. For some of us, it's harder to let others down then letting ourselves down, so find someone who can help keep you on track and achieve your goals.
5. Reward yourself:
Celebrating success, no matter how big or small it is, is important. We need to acknowledge when we have had a great day, or achieved something that is a step towards our overall goal. Reward yourself. It doesn't have to be huge, it can be as small as a coffee with a friend, or a breakfast on the weekend. Figure out ways to be joyful and reward yourself. It's the small wins that count.
