As January ticks away how are your New Year's Resolutions going? Are they also quickly ticking away?
How often have you heard the phrase “New Year, New Me!” The mantra acts as a promise for a fresh start. A feeling that you will wake up on the 1st of January with a whole new attitude and outlook on life. You are going to be everything you wanted to be last year, more productive and mindful but could not quite get there. You blamed the cold weather, the holiday festivities and your added workload for not starting sooner. The New Year means time to make a change and this time you’re going to do it. Sounds promising, right?
Well, unfortunately, good intentions are just that (and I really do admire people’s ambition here, I am guilty of this myself), but we end up failing! By mid-January you are right back to where you started and no progress has been made towards your goals. But why does this happen? Why can we not make it stick?
I have an interesting and equally shocking fact for you- only 12% of people will achieve their New Year’s resolutions. That means a staggering 156 million people give up and do not make it to the end of the year with what they promised themselves they would set out to achieve. Don’t be discouraged! I am going to tell you why and give you 5 simple and easy steps to make sure you triumph this year!
First of all, you don't have to wait until a certain date to want to or start making positive changes in your life. Let's change that mindset. The time is now, yes, RIGHT NOW! So let's take New Years out of the equation and start a new type of resolution that I call the 'New NOW Resolution'. Here are my 5 simple steps to start successfully achieving your New NOW Resolution in a productive and mindful way.
Ever heard of the saying ‘People don’t change over-night’? It’s true. They don’t and they can’t unless they’re a superhero maybe… Many people quit because they put too much pressure on themselves. The goal they set themselves is too big and requires too big a change all at once. We are not processed to break bad habits this way. The best and mindful way to achieve a change and work towards your goal is to:
1. Take Small Steps.
Instead of waking up on the 1st and hitting the gym hard and injuring yourself or applying for 20 jobs which aren’t right for you, stop and think what small steps could be beneficial right now. Could it be a getting off the bus a stop before and walking the rest of the way, or calling that friend who works in recruitment? Be productive remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
The next major reason people fail is that they set themselves too many goals to reach. They crave a fabulous, new life and they think that the best way to do that is to change 50 things about themselves. However, this only sets you up to fail. It is better to:
2. Focus on one resolution.
If you have one main goal, chances are your focus and drive will make that one thing possible- everything else will likely fall into place.
One very common mistake when deciding a New Year’s resolution is making it too vague and not specific enough! Losing weight, for example, is uncertain. So, with your New NOW Resolution, you'll ask, Well… how much weight? In what amount of time? Instead, it is better to:
3. Set specific goals.
Losing 12 pounds in 90 days is much more specific and achievable. It gives you a target to hit. You can even break it down into smaller goals (that’s only 4 pounds a month!)
People are often too hard on themselves. They think unless they have completed their goal fully they can’t praise themselves. Another key step to achieving your goals is to:
4. Celebrate your milestones.
If you can’t do this and give yourself some encouragement and a little pat on the back the year is going to seem long, tedious and difficult.
The very last and probably most important reason people cannot achieve their goals is that they know their what but they don’t know their 'WHY'. Yes, it's the big 'WHY'. In other words, you know what you want, but you are not entirely sure why you want it. If your goal is ‘Exercise more’ which is vague people, remember point 3… You could change this to ‘Walk to work 3 times a week’ but why… Why do you want to exercise more? What is the reason? Do you want to feel more confident? Do you want to set a better example for your children? Do you want to have more energy, feel vitalised and energised? Once you can understand WHY you want to do something, it will be a lot easier to keep going and working towards your goal. So make sure you:
5. Know your why
If you follow these easy steps and make it your 'New NOW Resolutions' rather than a New Year's Resolution you will get there. Just remember to:
- Take small steps
- Focus on one main resolution
- Make your goals specific
- Celebrate your milestones
- Know your WHY!
Forget the failures of the past or the previous resolutions you did not achieve. Instead, approach this today with a fresh and positive attitude. By following these five simple steps you will conquer your resolutions successfully and with greater ease!
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