Do you make New Years Resolutions?
As we approach a new year, many of us reflect on the year that has gone and the things we want to achieve over the coming year. So if you did make new plans – how are they going?.
I have to confess, I’m not a big fan of New Year Resolutions. Traditionally they’ve focused on deprivation, like ‘losing 2 stone in weight’, ‘stopping drinking’, ‘giving up sugar’, etc. However, a focus on ‘giving something up’ can be really hard to sustain in the long term. Statistics also show that less than 10% of resolutions are successful. So how can we set ourselves up for the best chance of reaching our goals?
If you are looking at making lasting changes, take a look at the following ideas. Try them all or pick one – there’s bound to be something that will work for you
Reflect on the past year: What worked for you? What activities or experiences lit you up? Brought you success? Simply aim to do more of whatever it is! Also think about what didn’t work – what didn’t you enjoy and why? This will give you some useful pointers to take forward.
Create a plan: This will give you something to aim for and also a roadmap of how to get there. What do you want to achieve? Think of a specific goal and set a timescale for 3, 6 or 12 months. How are you going to get there? Break the goal down into small, achievable steps that you can follow to get you to your goal.
Micro habits It’s the small things you do consistently that really matter. The problem with New Year Resolutions is that they are often too big and feel overwhelming, so we give up before we get started! Think in terms of small changes you can make that will lead you towards that bigger goal. For example, if you want to run a marathon, start by taking a two minute jog every day, instead of attempting a full mile. Want to feel healthier? start by drinking a glass of water every morning when you get out of bed.
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
James Clear
Write it down Whatever you plan to do be sure to write it down. It doesn’t really matter how you do this, the important thing is to record it in some way so that you can refer to it often to remind and motivate yourself. Writing down goals also means you can see them, instead of just thinking about them, making success much more likely. I also think that it reduces stress, as it removes the burden of having to remember everything and hold it all inside.
Share your goals Give yourself some accountability by sharing your intentions with family and friends. Sharing with others makes it more real and they will be able to support you on your journey. Even better, enlist the support of an accountability partner. This is someone who is reliable and committed to helping you reach your goals (and in turn you will do the same for them). Having a buddy will keep you on track and make you answerable to someone if you fail to follow through.
So there’s a few ideas to get you started….let me know how you get on!