New Year, New You? Let's Get to it!
New Years’ resolutions - some hate them, others live for them. My opinion has done a 180 in the past year and, while I used to be a cynic, I am now a big advocate for resolutions…when done right. Sticking with a resolution has less to do with motivation and everything to do with preparation. I used to have outlandish goals that I never achieved and thought it was from my lack of effort. However, one day I decided to write down my goals and when I considered the time frame I gave them, I realized they were nearly impossible to accomplish. That was a big wakeup call! I knew something had to change. I began organizing my goals differently and since then, my success with accomplishing goals has sky-rocketed. If you’re ready to conquer this year’s resolutions, keep on reading to see how I’ve made it work for me!
First, let’s clarify: are you creating a new habit or achieving a specific goal?
A new habit would be something like reading for 15 minutes every morning.
A goal would be something like launching running a marathon.
A habit is a change in the way you live; a goal has a definite end date and clear outcome.
Creating New Habits
Wanting to create a new habit? Be sure it can be realistically maintained and has a specific time slot each day. Is your new habit creating a healthier lifestyle? Start small. Maybe eliminate soda or have a healthy breakfast ready the night before. Then, once that is a routine habit, start eliminating late night snacks. Your new habit should be a small, consistent change that feels very doable when you think about it. If you try to change too much at once, life will get in the way and a difficult, time-consuming habit will be the first thing you throw out. Set yourself up for success - make it easy and doable!
Accomplishing Goals
Want to accomplish something big this year? Plan accordingly! First, set a concrete date of when you want it completed (not March or Aprilish…a single day like March 15, 2020). Next, break this down into monthly goals. What milestones need to be hit each month for you to reach your deadline?
Once you have your monthly goals, you can then break that into weekly goals. For me, I always have 3 goals to accomplish each week. I then prioritize my day’s to-do list by setting those 3 goals as my top priority above all other tasks.
Week by week, I see that my goal is becoming a reality and it’s encouraging to see my progress with every milestone. If you want to accomplish something big, breaking it down can make an impossible task feel possible and keep you from getting frustrated.
Now that you know the difference between a habit and a goal, it’s time to customize your very own plan! Are you feeling overwhelmed? Just start writing it down and keep breaking it down until each part feels manageable. Overwhelm does not come from multi-tasking or trying to do too much - it’s from not knowing where to start. The key to completing a goal is having a clear action plan of how you will get it done. Then it’s easy - you just follow the plan.
I can’t wait to see how much you’re going to do in this new year!
With love,
- Heather
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Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.
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