Although many of us start the New Year full of hope and excitement for making things happen, many of us quickly give up on our goals and wait until the next year to even think about them again. But we set resolutions for a reason, and that’s because we hope they can improve our lives in some way.
Last year I promised myself I would make a girls night out or at least a coffee date once a month. It may not seem like much but with family being as busy as it is, seeing friends can easily give way to daily life.
So if you want to set goals you can keep this year, here are three tips to help you make it happen.
1. Set Realistic Goals That You Really Can Keep
The first place to start is with your goals. Are they realistic? Are they honestly, honestly something you can see yourself achieving in the coming year? By all means, push yourself with your goals but do it within the limits of what’s possible. Planning to work out for 2 hours every single day probably isn’t realistic for most people, nor is it realistic to think that you’ll cut out all sweet food completely if you like your sweet treats.
It’s also important to ensure you don’t try too many things at once. By all means, plan to improve your guitar playing skills, to get healthier and to learn a new language, but try focusing on just one goal to begin with. Once you’ve made the first goal a habit, or reached the milestone you were aiming for, you can move onto the second.
2. Understand The Way You Feel
Although not all our New Year’s resolutions are about giving something up, understanding the way you feel about things like overeating, or other habits you may have, is crucial to seeing your goal through to the end. If you’re trying to give up drinking, or a certain type of food, understand that cravings come and go like waves, and do the best you can to learn about what triggers your cravings so that you can avoid them.
The same goes with things like exercise. Think about how you feel when you can’t be bothered to exercise and put it off until tomorrow – you probably feel like you let yourself down. But when you do exercise, not only are you happy that you’re meeting your goal, but you may even get a rush off those endorphins!
3. Reward Yourself, Don’t Punish Yourself
We tend to work better when we’re working towards certain rewards, rather than avoiding punishments. So decide on some ways to reward yourself for completing goals. Instead of berating yourself and feeling guilty for not doing something, think of how you’ll feel and what you’ll do when you do something you want to do. Pick milestones relating to your goals, such as one month without a drink, or five days of exercising every day, and give yourself something nice as a reward (a new CD, a nice meal etc.) Rewards are far better motivators than fear!
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Excellent tips!
I had one resolution. To stop bloggint beyond 3am. Failed Jan 2. LOL
I totally agree on number 3. If you keep punishing yourself, the more likely you will fail but if you focus on the positive then you actually look forward to achieving your goal.
LMAO! I know exactly what you mean. I’m blogging at ALL times of the day (and night). I believe in setting goals and then breaking them down into actions. Perhaps setting an action item to help you get more set for the day? Let me know!
Thanks for the great tips. I’ve really tried to set reasonable goals this year. And, as I walk on my treadmill, I keep telling myself, this is so I can hike and do all the active things that I want to do. Just deposits of activity so I can do the big stuff. Good luck with all your resolutions!!
Jennifer — My goal this year is to get back to a healthy weight. I’m already well on my way (I started this fall). I’m writing a healthy post once a week. I hope you’ll join me on my journey so we can cheer each other on!
These are all common sense points that are so easily forgotten by many of us. We spend so much time beating ourselves up when we fail that we forget to pat ourselves on the back when we do something good. I fully intend to be realistic about my abilities and be good to myself this year
Kat — You hit the nail on the head. Being realistic is the best way to make sure you set attainable goals.