Why are so many of us disappointed with New Year's resolutions and setting goals? Because after a few months, we find that we are no longer acting on them. Somehow, other things assume a higher priority in our lives. What does that mean? Are these resolutions and goals not necessary in the first place? Yes, they are, but what happened?
With the New Year just around the corner, it's a good time to think about setting new goals. Businesses start to relax during the holidays; you need to start planning right now for next year. As of this year, the second week of January will have an adverse effect on the final result. Planning requires time and thought. Planning is difficult to do when you’re buried in a daily part of your work.
What is the difference between a resolution and a goal? One common goal is to achieve something. For example, to make a lot of money. A resolution is something you can retain. It's yours. For example, when you eat less, you lose weight. Eating less would be considered the resolution. The goal is to weigh less. We can also use words like intentions and habits, concerning objectives and resolutions. All these words, however, point to a word: change. We all want to improve for some reasons. The net result is to make your life better. What you put in the middle is change. Change can make you feel nervous.
However, you know you need to change. This little person in the back of your mind keeps coming to say, "Why do you even try? Every time you try, you fail." You give up after a few days because you’ve found it difficult to change. You are not alone. It is estimated that between 65 and 85 percent of New Year's resolutions tend to fail after only a week. It makes you wonder: why bother?
There is no single recipe for success. Below are some techniques to help you identify what you want to solve yourself.
- Create a vision of how you want your life to be — not only this year but from now on. What do you like the most and want to keep or maintain? What would you miss most if it was lost? Work on a vision of your ideal style for that point in your life, go back, and adapt to a reality of what is possible. Don’t place too many limitations on what is possible! Some things are possible that we thought were impossible.
- Don’t just rely on motivation alone.
- Accept the fact that change can be and is usually difficult.
- Write down what you want to accomplish.
- Write down how you will feel once you have reached your goal. This is a crucial step, as this adds excitement and comes from your heart.
- Provide a bonus for achievement.
- Break down resolutions and goals of everyday tasks that lead toward the ultimate goal and result.
- Share your decision with someone for accountability. It’s not a good feeling to let them you did not follow through because of some lame excuse.
Using the suggestions above will not become a statistic. Having many goals is good. Many of these goals can be a wish list — sometimes referred to as a bucket list. Naturally, we have a long list of goals with end dates that are two to three years old. These are resolutions that require changes that are now the most difficult to achieve. It takes almost 30 days to break a habit. Also, it takes 30 days to create a new one. Imagine what you can accomplish after eliminating the things that prevent your success. Prepare now to take flight in the New Year. Have fun.
