As the new-year approaches our minds turn to possible resolutions and what we resolve to do better next year. Maybe it’s losing weight, flossing our teeth or eating healthier. Whatever it is, we all know that after the first month or even maybe the first week we drop the ball and eventually give up until January 1st of the following year. This year can be different though.
With the right tools and mindset we can set ourselves up for success before the 1st rolls around and be motivated through the new year and the entire year after.
The first step is figuring out what you want to accomplish and why. Just like setting goals for your-self setting resolutions has the same process and your resolution has to have meaning. When you actually think about it, we shouldn’t use new years as a catalyst to change our lives but the social norm is to re-focus when the calendar rolls over. We need to get over that. Any day of the year is a good day to start, so lets start that today. Here are some guidelines to choose from when picking your resolution. You can choose one or two from each category or combine categories to create an all-encompassing resolution.
Resolve to…
Do something that will make you happy:
The only way anyone can stick to any goal long term is if it truly makes them happy. When thinking of your resolution think of things that will get you excited to get out of bed in the morning and make the process less daunting. Your resolution may seem overwhelming and scary but as long as the outcome makes you a happier person you’ll realize the end result is worth it.
Do something that will help others:
Resolving to do something that helps other people and makes an impact on their lives will create a much deeper drive to stick to the program than setting vain or selfish goals. Helping others has the ability to put your life into perspective and makes you grateful for everything you have and are able to accomplish. Realizing how much you have to offer to others will help you take into account all that you are able to do for yourself and stay motivated.
Do something that will better your-self:
Resolve to do something that will not only make you and others happy, but make you a better person. Whether that’s a better person for your family, significant other, co-workers, business partner or yourself, holding yourself accountable for others can help you sustain motivation when you want to give up. If you know you’ll be letting someone else down you’re more likely to keep working at it.
Do something realistic:
Resolve to do something that makes sense in your life. If your goal for the new-year is to revamp your diet and you have a spouse and kids be reminded that this change in your life will affect them as well. You can’t change your eating habits and not expect to affect your families eating habits. Saying you’re going to eat perfectly and cook separate meals for yourselves because your kids wont eat the food you eat isn’t realistic in the long run. You’ll eventually get burnt out and the temptation of what’s in front of you will eventually be too strong. If you and your family need a nutritional overhaul then make it a group effort. Educating your family on why you’re making changes and getting the kids involved in meal prep is a much more realistic approach to the long term success of your resolution.
Write it down:
Write down exactly what you want to accomplish. Don’t be vague. Figuring out your resolutions and putting them in writing makes it real and makes you actually focus on what you need to change in your life to reach them.
Figuring out what you want to accomplish is only step one. Take the time to really dig deep and decide why your resolutions in 2017 are going to be different than any other year.
Check back next week for the continuation on this blog and go over step two of setting a timeline for your resolutions and how to make them attainable over the long run.
I will be thinking hard about what my resolutions for 2017 are and sharing them with you as we go through this process together. There is no reason we all can’t be successful in the coming year.
Until next week,
Liz
