What do you think and feel when you hear that phrase, “New Year’s Resolution”? Is it something you do and achieve every year? If yes, then congratulations, sincerely, and please share your tips in the comments. If not, if you can already feel the failure before you’ve even begun then perhaps this blog might help.
The first New Year’s Resolution is thought to have been as far back as 4000 years ago. The intention was to make promises to the Gods with the idea that they would be looked on favourably for the rest of the year. This has been continued throughout the ages to today where our resolutions are a lot more personal however in my opinion we still fall into the trap of pledging the same things, with the same result of failure every year. The most popular resolutions that I see and hear about are about losing weight, eating healthier and exercising more. We can often be bombarded in the media with weight loss tips or the new fad that celebrities or brands are promoting. It’s all designed to make us feel like we need to be on board that train. But do we?
Every year most people will fail at their resolutions and how do you feel when you fail?
Telling yourself that you’re going to eat more healthily is incredibly vague, as is exercising more. What exactly are you wanting to achieve? Are you thinking that you can run a marathon in a couple of months? Or simply just walking more? Both of those goals are vague with unrealistic. Unless you are specific in what that goal looks like to you, it’s likely you’ll simply forget about it. Is the goal unachievable? Or so great that it feels like you’re trying to climb a mountain? If you’re unmotivated it’ll make it very difficult to even get off the starting block.
How about looking at it this way?
1) Is this goal something you genuinely want to achieve? (Not want you think you should be doing based on other people’s opinions or things you see/hear in the media).
2) Be very specific and clear about what you want to achieve and when.
3) Create a visual, either in your mind or on paper, of what it would look and feel like to achieve that goal. Adding emotions can make the goal more motivational and real.
4) Make both your goal and your timeline realistic.
5) Break it down into manageable chunks. Taking small steps will make your goal feel much easier to achieve when you can see your path.
6) Be ok with making mistakes, or taking steps backwards. It’s ok to have off days.
7) Celebrate the small wins. Allow yourself to feel good every time you reach a mini goal as well as your main goal.
Finally, it’s ok to ask for help if you’re struggling. Sometimes we can feel blocked and not be sure why. There could be something outside of our awareness that is wanting to be acknowledged and worked through. Don’t be afraid to reach out.