It's January 2, 2012, and chances are, you're already on your way to quiting your new years resolutions. That's because, by the seventh day in any given year, most resolutions have been abandoned. The great thing about a new year, is the chance to start over. So don't waste the opportunity, by setting goals you never intend to reach in the first place. Here are five tips to buck the trend, and succeed in the resolution game:
Be Accountable To Yourself- In the past, I've written about writing yourself a letter, from the perspective of the end of the year. It's titled, XXXX Year, Was The Best Year Of My Life. The letter would include details, about why the forthcoming year, was the best, sealed away until December 31st of that year, and opened. The XXXX year is the best year of my life is a different way of writing down your goals.
Write A List- This is a hard one. Most people have no idea of what they are good and bad at. But the best way to reach a goal is to know your strength and weakness. Get out the 9 x 11 tablet, and write down what you're good at, what you flat out stink at, and which areas can use some improvement. Assessing your abilities is tough, but that is why we also need to examine where we're talented. Goals should be honest, and we should be honest with ourselves about our abilities go improve.
Give Yourself A Theme- It isn't the same as a mission statement, but much more simplistic. Instead of writing down a message, simply write down one word that is going to define your year, and put it away somewhere. It could be consistency, strength, fun, discipline, or any other word you wish to emphasize for the next 365 days.
Monthly Check Ups- How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time of course. The biggest reason people don't attain goals, is because they make them too lofty, and impossible to reach. Is this done on purpose? The best way to avoid this mistake, is to break the year up, into twelve sections, and assess your progress at the conclusion of each month. Or, you could write your goals in such a way. It's much less intimidating to think about losing 4 pounds per month, to losing 50 pounds in the next year.
Tell Someone Else- Be it a spouse, sibling, friend or coworker, goals become real when we share them with someone else. And a lot tougher to walk away from.
Get One Out Of The Way Early- This can be anything from contacting a friend you know you've been meaning to call, to joining a gym and going to that first workout. Either way, get one of your goals out of the way in the first two weeks. It's amazing how much easier things become, after taking that first step.
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