Call them resolutions, intentions, or goals. The new year is fast approaching and it is when many people vow THIS will be the year they will keep their resolutions, only to see them fall to the wayside by Valentines day.
Not this year. It is up to you, right now, to decide if this year will be better for you than the last. But it takes some thought and planning to make goals stick.
THE RESOLUTION ROADMAP:
The number one reason people often don’t achieve their goals? They are too broad and lack a plan. A solid plan must:
- Be achievable by a specific date.
- Be measurable AND specific. In other words, a complete stranger should be able to determine whether or not you have achieved it.
- It should positively impact you life even if indirectly.
For example if your goal is to build your saving account in the next year. This is what a goal could look like:
LOUSY: “Save money.”
BETTER: “Save 1,000.”
GOOD: “Have 1,000 in a saving account by December 31, 2023.”
AWESOME: “ Make $100 extra dollars month by working an extra day/overtime/side gig, put it in savings and don’t spend a penny of it. “
ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS:
Create a ‘No-fail” environment: The fewer loopholes you have available to you, the easier it will be to succeed.
- Be Prepared: If you are going to start exercising make sure you have the right attire (meaning no leotards from 1985) and dig out your treadmill from the pile of clothes that have settled there. If your goal is to eat healthier, clean out your fridge/pantry. The open jar of frosting, the stale cookies in the cupboard, the hidden stash of Tootsie Rolls. Get rid of them. If more money is the goal, you can start now by cutting back on the streaming services (tough one I know), use grocery apps for coupons and make coffee at home.
- Treat Yourself: The surest path to a failed goal is to try and force yourself to do something that makes you miserable. Remember, the goal is to make this year BETTER than the last, and build life long habits, not suffertr though self imposed rules and restrictions. So reward yourself a long the way.
- Consistently Motivate Yourself. No matter how revved up you are at the beginning of the year , chances are as time goes on your forcus and energy start to wane and you will be tempted to throw in the sneakers, quinoa, textbooks, meet ups, etc (this is why most New Yeasrs resolution fizzle by February 14th.) So plan ahead. Surround yourself with motivation and reminders. Copy some motivational memes from social media and keep them on your phone. Subscribe to blogs and podcast from people who have achieved the same goal forwhich you are stiving, and share your goal with supportive family and friends so they can encourage you a long the way.
Remember nothing changes if nothing changes. Make a plan, put in the effort, cheer yourself on and imagine what you can achieve in 2023. Happy New Year.
By: Sherri Sacconaghi, Creative Strategist for EPB&B and former Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer
