Well the end of the year is nigh! With that comes a new year and a chance to start afresh. What do they say? “Tomorrow is the start of the rest of my life!”. So here’s a couple of quick ideas to help with New Year’s Resolutions.
New Year’s Resolutions are commonly made at this time, but it is wise to spend time on this so as not to fall into the pitfalls we may have fallen victim to in the past. For example, don’t set too large a goal or it becomes more and more unachievable as time goes by. Better to break it into smaller more achievable amounts. Eg. Instead of saying I want to lose 18 kilos, it would be easier to say I want to lose 3 kilos per month for the next 6 months. This way too you have checkpoints along the way to consider your progress.
A goal should be specific as well. Rather than say I won’t get bored this year, say I will treat myself to a day or night away each month. If you aren’t specific, then you are unlikely to maintain a focus on the goal.
Both of these factors relate to the goal being measurable as well. Putting a time frame or quantity with the goal allows you to keep track of how you are going. Make sure realistic time frames are given based on how much time and effort you are prepared to invest to achieving your goal.
If you have a number of goals, it may be useful to prioritise them from most important to least important. You should therefore spend time relatively to the goal’s priority so you don’t achieve the lesser goals at the expense of the more important ones.
A great way to make a goal more fun is to share it with someone. Find someone to join you on that “3 jogging sessions per week”. Maybe your partner will cut back on alcohol or sweets with you. Failing finding someone to join you, you could make yourself accountable by telling a close friend or a parent what your goal is and ask them to encourage you and regularly check in with your progress.
Remember – “Always aim for the Moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” W. Clement Stone