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| photo credit- Google |
The New Year is slowly coming, and with the holiday
season already upon us many of us are indulging in retrospection and
re-evaluating some of their life choices. New Year’s resolutions are the
perfect opportunity for most people to start making the changes they would like
to see in the new year. I should point out that while I am not a huge fan of making "new year resolutions" (i rarely succeed in keeping them lol), I am a big fan creating goals for myself especially at the start of the year. I guess its about the same thing right?
What is a
resolution?
Simply put, it is a FIRM decision to do or not to
something. It becomes a new year resolution when you resolve to do it from the
start of the year. New year resolutions aren’t a new phenomenon. In the early
days, the Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year
that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts while the Romans
began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of
January is named. Irrespective of the origins, we can all agree that the idea
behind making new year resolutions is to reflect upon self-improvement
annually.
HOW DO WE
MAKE RESOLUTIONS?
I once saw a quote which said “Your
goals aren’t really your goals …until you make a plan and work hard to make
them happen” and to me this sums up how to make a resolution. To
make these resolutions, it is key to employ the tool of goal-setting. This will
help in making those important decisions and sticking to them.
Goal setting I believe is a powerful process for thinking
about your BIG PICTURE, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this
into reality. The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to
go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you
have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions
that can, so easily, lead you astray.
HOW DO WE KEEP RESOLUTIONS?
1.
FIGURE OUT YOUR
GOALS
First, it is important to carefully consider what you
want to achieve and commit to them. Make SMART goals and by this I mean
(S)pecific, (M)easurable, (A)ttainable, (R)elevant and (T)ime-bound goals that
motivate you.. Then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal, and
cross off each one as you work through them.
Here’s a classic example of a SMART goal: if your goal
is to lose 10kg of weight in four months, you could write: – I will go to the
gym three times per week. – I will eat 500 fewer calories each day. – I will
eat junk food and sweets only once a week. – I will drink fizzy drinks once in
two weeks. – I will walk for 45 minutes every day.
Now that’s a specific plan or a roadmap that will lead
you to your desired destination and achieving your goal.
In a nut-shell:
·
Identify the
large-scale goals
·
Break down into
smaller targets or sub-goals
·
Start working on
them.
2.
WRITE DOWN YOUR
GOALS
A research carried out in Harvard University showed
that those who took time to write down their
goals achieved their goals 10 times
more than those who didn’t.
This tells
you that writing down your goals increases your chances of realising them and
to me writing them down makes them feel tangible.
If you can’t find a paper, you could write the answers
in a note on your phone or laptop. But, I would recommend using a paper.
Personally, I have my fitness goals for example, written on sticky notes pasted
on my fridge and bedroom wall so I can see them every day, but I have also
written my short-term goals in my phone.
3.
MAKE YOUR GOALS
SPECIFIC
It is not enough to write goals down but it is very
important that make them as specific as possible. For instance, “I want to lose
10kg of fat,” is hugely different from “I want to lose 10kg of fat in the next
four months.” The second is specific and gives you a deadline that will push
you to take action
4.
GIVE DEADLINES
Have a structured deadline to meet your target but
make sure these deadlines are somehow realistic. You can’t say you want to lose
10kg in 2weeks (this used to be me before lol) but that is almost impossible
and unrealistic. What is ideal is for you to give yourself a deadline that is
challenging enough to push you and motivate you to take action, without being
extremely tough to achieve.
Here I am using example of my weight loss because I feel and know that a lot of people can relate to that. Being obese was something I struggled with
for as long as I can remember and from my experience i know that a lot of women have this same struggle. Having set goals and accomplishing most
of them in this area makes it easier for me to discuss. I later came to understand that I struggled to lose weight basically because I
didn't plan properly. I had the big
picture but forgot to create a realistic path to that picture. So for example I
will say i want to lose 20kg and after a month
I would manage to lose just 3kg and
I found myself depressed . I usually gave up and ate even more . Was it
possible to lose 20kg in a month? Did I get to that weight in one month? Of course
not . So why did I think I would lose such a ridiculous amount of weight in
such a short time ? My mentality was all messed up . The moment I understood
this and started making more realistic plans, I started winning!
SUPPORT
SYSTEMS
Whatever your vision, goals, big picture is, you need
an adequate support system to help you. Don't forget that no man is an island
on his own. You need people. No one can get successful all by him/herself.
Success is achieved by joining forces with people on the same wave length as
you. Negative people can be toxic and put a damper on your vision. Therefore,
you only want to surround yourself with like-minded people. I can’t tell you enough how much this has
made a difference in my life. Take my fitness journey for example, when I first
decided to lose weight, a lot of people around me didn’t understand why I would
decide to lift weights, or workout twice a day. Some days I felt bad about
sharing my journey on social media because of the negativity. But all that
stopped the moment I found other people who understood my vision. Now I have
managed to build a community with like-minded people and we all encourage each
other when we lack the motivation to keep going.
Here the question should be- Are the people around me supporting my
vision 100% or am I constantly defending my worth and your ability?
It can be difficult pursing a dream of yours if
someone was constantly telling you that it will never be as big as you think,
or it won’t last forever. It is very discouraging; trust me, I know. Therefore
making the choice to only have people around you who support your vision will
be the smartest decision you will make in 2017.
Here are other ways of building a good support system
:
·
Connect with those
who have more knowledge in your area of interest -trust me you will need their
input!
·
Find people who do
not just talk to you but LISTEN to your ideas and concerns.
·
Let your words and
mind be positive at all times.
MEASURING
YOUR SUCCESS AND CELEBRATING YOURSELF
DO NOT live up to someone else’s idea of success. Your
accomplishments and successes are yours, not theirs. And you should to measure
success by your own standard.
You are the one who decides exactly what it means to
be successful in any area of your life. The time to make that decision is
during the goal setting process. Doing so will allow you to identify and
celebrate each personal success along the way.
Remember the sub-goals? This is why we make them.
Accomplishing each of your sub-goals should be the standard for measuring your
progress. And for each sub-goal you accomplish , sit back , breathe and pat
yourself on the back!
I originally set out to lose 20kg in one year
(large-scale goal) but I decided that I will start by losing 3-4kg every month
(sub-goal). And each time I hit my monthly target , I rewarded myself with a
nice dress, or lovely workout outfit! As small as that was, it worked. Looking
forward to something at the end of each month kept me going. I managed to
surpass my large-scale goal and went on to lose 35kg. At the moment I have
moved my target to 50kg and I will be using the same method to achieve what is
left of my goals.
I must point out that if your goal is fitness related,
try not to reward yourself with food. You will only end up sabotaging your
efforts. Whatever your goal is, reward each step you accomplish with something
fun and meaningful. Eg. Spa day, a nice dress or shoe, a trip to a new place,
ticket to a nice show or the movie etc.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTION IDEAS
Here are 20 resolutions that are common and popular.
Feel free to adopt any of them :
1.
Get in shape and
lose weight
2.
Become more active
3.
Stop
procrastinating
4.
Learn a skill
5.
Earn more money
6.
Save more money
7.
Get out of debt
8.
Read more books
9.
Watch less TV and
spend less time on social media
10. Find a significant other
11. Learn a new language
12. Travel more
13. Get over an ex
14. Turning a hobby into a career
15. Controlling anger
16. Become more social
17. Spend more time with loved ones
18. Start writing a book or keep a journal
19. Become more tolerant
20. Spend more time with God
