The New Year is traditionally the time to make some “resolutions”. Sometimes it’s good to do this on the 1st of January because it can be thought of as a new beginning but you’re often just getting over the excess of eating, drinking and merriment so you don’t necessarily have the attention for it!
About the 2nd or 3rd week of January is a good time. You’re into the new year, back at work, life is back to “normal”. February can even be a good time – things are moving on rapidly and now it’s time to take stock and see where things are at.
New Year Resolutions
Did you know that resolution means “a firm decision to do or not do something”?
So we could have something like:
- I’m going to lose weight this year
- I’m not going to eat sugar anymore
- I’m going to exercise regularly
- I’m going to give up smoking
Note these are all “doing” or “not doing”.
This is good but to what end are these doingnesses directed? What are you trying to achieve?
Goals
It is much better to look at the GOAL that you want to achieve – an end result of what you do, something you achieve.
For example:
- 20 pounds weight loss
- A healthy diet adopted including no sugar
- A fit body
- Doing a job I love
Do you see the difference? These are all things to aim for as a result of doing something.
Once you’ve established the goals you can work backwards and see exactly what you would have to do to achieve those goals. Without working out the “do” for a goal you have much less chance of actually achieving it.
To achieve 20 pounds weight loss would require certain actions, 3 here to name but a few:
- adopting a healthy eating plan
- giving up sugar
- regular exercise program
If you take the goal and break it down to what you need to do to achieve that goal you are much more likely to achieve it.
Just deciding you want to be 20lbs lighter isn’t going to be enough. There needs to be a plan in place to bring that about.
You need a nutrition plan – what to eat, what not to eat, what supplements to take?
You need an exercise plan – which is the best exercise to do, how are you going to fit it in?
You probably need a lifestyle change too – are you under stress, how happy are you?
And so on.
The goal of “doing a job I love” would need to be broken down:
What do I love doing?
How am I going to get from what I do now to doing what I love? (that’s a BIG step!)
It’s all in the details
The more detailed the plan and the more steps you work out to carry out that plan, the more likely you are to achieve your goal.
- Take a look and work out one major thing you would like to achieve this year.
- Write that down as your GOAL – and be sure to actually write it down, don’t just keep it in your thoughts.
- Now, write down a number of steps you would need to do to achieve that goal.
- And now take those steps and see if you need to break those down into more detailed actions.
- Keep doing this until you have a list of doable steps that will result in the GOAL!
And then repeat for other goals that you’re aiming for.
During the year
Just because this is talking about New Year doesn’t mean you can’t set new goals during the year. You might decide in the middle of April that you’re unhappy with your job and it’s time to change – set yourself that new goal and plan out how to achieve it.
With your goals that are already mapped out, you just keep working on the steps and keep track of your accomplishments and you will keep moving towards your goal.
Isn’t that so much better than making a New Year’s Resolution that you never stick to?
You can achieve anything you set out to achieve – as long as it’s broken down into doable steps!
Help for you
Given up on your dreams? Here’s an article on achieving your dreams and how you might have been stopped and given up:
Did you stop doing something because you failed to achieve your dream?
Feeling depressed, stressed or generally unhappy? This article is about a book that can help you relieve stress, feel happier and much more. And it’s something you can do for yourself:
Self Help Counselling – Keeping More Than Your Head Above Water
Finding it hard to lose weight? This 5-day sugar-challenge can put you on the road to greater health and wellness:
Are your energy levels low and do you have aches & pains? Look to your diet and see how this is a major contributor to how you’re feeling:
The Clean Eating for The Busy Person Program
Looking for some healthy recipes that don’t take a long time to make? Having ready-made recipes at hand can give you a variety of healthy meals to try so you don’t get stuck in a rut with your meals!
Plant-Based Recipe Pack
High Protein Recipe Pack
Life Coaching
Sometimes it’s hard to work out what you want to do or how to go about achieving it. That’s where a Life Coach comes in handy! A Life Coach is there to do just that – coach you in life! It’s not counselling and it’s not friendly advice. It’s practical help to guide you in your decision making and goal-setting.
If you’d like to know more check out Life Coaching to Improve Your Life. You get a free 30-minute consultation so you don’t have to make a commitment or decision straight away!
Here’s to a GREAT year ahead with you achieving everything you set out to do 🙂