Did you set your New Year’s Resolutions?
As far as I’m aware, when it comes to setting New Year’s Resolutions, we all fall into 1 of 4 categories:
A. Doesn’t set New Year’s Resolutions, but sets goals as and when throughout the year
B. Doesn’t set New Year’s Resolutions, the meaning of ‘goals’ is unknown
C. Sets New Year’s Resolutions, then forgets what they were after 48 hours
D. Sets New Year’s Resolutions and takes action towards them for all 365 days of the year
I fall in to A (with a hint of D)…
I set goals year-round – monthly, quarterly, daily – for home, work, family life. You name it, I probably have a goal for it!
I don’t limit myself by waiting for New Year’s Eve to come around to think about the goals I want to set for myself.
But I *do* do an end of year reflection, which inevitably leads on to a ‘how can I improve’ and ‘what more do I want to achieve’ conversation with myself. So I guess these could be classed as New Year’s Resolutions.
How To Stay On Track
Progress makes us want to progress. It’s the snowball effect! As soon as we begin to see change, we become more and more motivated to keep going.
I’m sure most of us have experienced this before, a good example to use is exercise…
Many find it difficult to hold down the habit of exercising, because after 2 weeks there’s no visible change.We think it’s a pointless activity. So, we quit!
If we held out another 4 weeks, there would be an incredible physical and mental change that would motivate us to keep going.
The secret is *consistency*.
Consistency helps us to build a habit, and this habit allows us to see the long-term results.
“But how do we consistently take action towards our goals?” I hear you cry!
Simply, Keep Your Eye On The Resolution
Surround yourself with positive reinforcement. Read a book on the subject. Print out photos and make a vision board. Listen to podcasts. Watch others’ success stories! Anything you need to do to stay enthusiastic about your goal, do it.
Remember that motivation comes and goes. There will be days when you don’t want to work towards your goals – do it anyway. This is what build consistency, and over time, a habit.
What are your New Year’s Resolutions/Goals and how are you working towards them?
Hit reply and let me know – especially if you’ve broken your resolution and need a little encouragement to get back on track.
Nicky,
Take a look at our most recent blog post: How To Create A Success Mindset