Step 1: Reflect
Before deciding what, your
New Year’s resolution will be, take some time to reflect on the past year.
Start thinking about your big picture. What is something that always bothers
you, or something you wanted to get better at? Is there anything you have been
putting off? Think about what could make a substantial change in the
next year of your life.
Step 2: Know Your “Why”
Once you set your goal,
start developing your “why”. This will be the backbone of your
goal and without it, you will have trouble staying the course. Your why is
what will push you through the hardest moments. If your goal is to hit a
certain financial milestone, for example reaching a specific amount of money in
your savings account, maybe your why is that you want to buy a house.
The deeper you go into your why, the stronger you will feel about
accomplishing your goal. Why would you like to purchase a house? Do you want to
live in a safer neighborhood? Do you want to have more outdoor space for your
dog? Are you sick of not being able to decorate the apartment you
rent in a way you like? The deeper you go the better!
Once you have your goal and
your why, write them down and make it visible - put it somewhere you
will see it several times a day. Physically take pen to paper for this
one. Studies show that there are several benefits to writing down your
goals on paper. It provides focus and clarity, which is essential in our
jam-packed lives. The added visual of seeing your goals and more importantly -
your whys, will help keep you motivated.
Step 3: Forgive Failures
Failure is a necessary part
of life. The more you fail, the closer you are to success. Remind
yourself that it’s okay to get frustrated as long as you keep trying and that
just because you haven’t gotten there yet, doesn’t mean you're not making
progress. This may be easier said than done, and you might need to forgive
those past failures more than once. Take a moment to focus on that emotion and
acknowledge it out loud. Remind yourself that mistakes are learning experiences
and give yourself permission to process those emotions in time.
Step 4: Break it Down
It's important to give
yourself a program to follow when setting a goal, otherwise it can be easy to
procrastinate and lose track of your progress. You’ll want to design a plan to
follow with smaller attainable steps and when you want to have these steps
accomplished by. This can be a simple list of tasks with a timeline or an
intricate spreadsheet. Be realistic about what will work best for you.
Step 5: Reward Yourself
Build a tracking and reward
system right into your program. If you are motivated visually, including charts
or graphs that you get to cross off once a step is complete is a great visual
option
Choosing the right rewards
can be tricky. It’s important that your rewards and goals complement each
other, rather than work against each other. For example, if your goal is to become
healthier, and your first subgoal is to hit 50,000 steps in one week - the
reward could be something like new workout clothing or a new piece of
equipment. If the reward isn’t relevant or is counterproductive, it won’t
have as much emotional resonance and you will be less likely to associate the
action with the reward. The rewards should also be something that you really
want, so feel free to get creative!
