It’s the New Year! Time for celebration with family, friends, champagne, sparkly hats, and good food, as one year comes to a close and another one is just beginning.
Most of us think about the past year, reflecting on the goals we accomplished and the ones we did not.
There comes a time when many of us proclaim that traditional New Year’s Resolution.
I’m going to get healthier this year!
I’m going to pay off my debt and save more!
I’m going to be a better spouse or parent!
I am going to complete that project I have put aside year after year!
I will be more committed at work!
I will find love!
You know what I mean.
Day 1, you are on track. Day 2, you are on track. Maybe even 30 days later, you are on track.
According to a study conducted in beginning of 2017, only 9.2 % of people felt they were successful in achieving their resolution the previous year.
Less than 10% of the people surveyed who proclaimed New Year’s Resolutions actually accomplished them!
I want YOU to be part of that less than 10% in 2018.
Here are 6 ways to make your New Year’s Resolutions actually happen:
#1 Don’t call it a New Year’s Resolution.
Basically, there are two possibilities regarding a resolution. You either desire to stop doing something, or you desire to start doing something. Refer to it as a goal, or creating a new habit, enabling you to view it as a desired result. Keyword: Desired, you really, really, really want it!
#2 Add some VALUE to it.
Why do you want to create this new habit? What are the benefits? Yes, list them out, and refer to them often. When something has value, mentally and emotionally, it’s easier to stay motivated because it has personal weight in your life.
#3 Brainstorm all the things you can do to support this new habit.
Take 30-60 minutes and think of everything and anything you could do to make your new habit happen.
#4 Commit to taking daily action that supports your new habit.
Every day commit to something off the list you created. It can be small. It doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. You can do the same thing days in a row. Bottom line, commit to taking consistent action to reach your goal. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Don’t overcomplicate it. Just commit to doing something daily, and do it.
#5 Don’t give up.
Give yourself grace. Give yourself permission to make a mistake, skip a day, or lose your focus. But, when that happens, instead of giving up, feeling guilty, beating yourself up, thinking, “Why bother anymore?” recommit to yourself, your goal, and your new habit and keep going.
#6 Get support.
Don’t keep your goal or habit to yourself. We are not meant to do things alone. Find people in your life who will support you, check in on your progress, and hold you accountable. Offer the same support to them in return. Together we rise.
Make 2018 your best year yet!