How to Set Better Resolutions
It is time for resolutions and every year, the majority of people set resolutions, and yet every year, the vast majority of people will break those resolutions, often before the end of January.
The most common reasons that people abandon their resolutions include forgetting about them, picking too many, setting unrealistic goals, and not caring about the goals. There is nothing wrong with setting goals and resolutions for the year, but there is a way to do it in order to increase your chances for success.
Below are some tips to help you set better and more successful resolutions!
Pick something you actually care about. Do not set a goal of losing weight if that does not matter to you. Pick something that you actually care about and want to accomplish.
Be realistic. If you don’t work out at all right now, do not have a resolution of working out seven days a week. Be realistic and pick goals that you are a slight reach but can still be accomplished. You can always adjust them throughout the year.
Think long term. One thing I like to do when setting resolutions is to visualize where I want to be at the end of the year - how I want to feel and what I want to have accomplished. Then I work my way backwards and figure out the small steps I need to take to get there. This helps to connect you to your long term vision and why you are ultimately setting these resolutions.
Get specific. Creating a vague resolution is almost a guarantee that it will not be accomplished and is probably one of the biggest mistakes that people make. Lose weight, read more, meditate, eat healthier, etc. While it is okay if that is your general goal, getting more specific will help you actually achieve it. Pick the specific things you are doing to do in order to accomplish that. I will read 10 minutes a day, four days a week before I go to bed. I will eat at least 3 servings of vegetables each day, one at lunch and two at dinner.
Plan for failure. Know that you will not be perfect, but you do not have to be perfect in order to accomplish your goals. What you do most of the time matters. The key is not to let one bad day become two bad days which become a bad week.
Enlist support. Having accountability and support is one of the best ways to ensure that you are successful in accomplishing your goals. Whether it is a friend, coach, or group, having someone to help keep you on track when things get hard and to be there to celebrate your wins is invaluable.
Do it your way. If making a specific resolution doesn’t sound appealing to you, find a different way that resonates with you. Pick a word for the year, make a list of things you want to do more of/less of, write a letter to yourself. It is just about bringing awareness to the life you want to create and whether the actions you are currently taking are supporting that. Anything that helps you examine how you are living will be beneficial.
