Why Do Resolutions Wane?
Every year, there is an urge to set new goals — to make resolutions that will improve our sense of worth for the coming year. It’s a great concept. With the fresh year comes a fresh opportunity to do things differently. However, despite all good intentions, is it really that simple?
Many gyms are packed for the first month or so of each year. People have grand ideas of losing that weight they’ve gained, or they have goals of becoming more healthy in order to address various health concerns. Yet as the weeks go by, the locker rooms become less crowded, and people give in to feelings of failure.
Were their goals unrealistic, or did they lack the structure needed to reach their goals?
Here are 4 tips to keep you on target for accomplishing this year’s resolutions.
1. Be realistic.
It’s great to set goals you would like to achieve in the new year, but it is also important to be realistic about those goals. Write down the main objective and set bite-size goals to meet along the way. When you break down your major objective into achievable pieces, you will be less likely to fail at the long-term goal.
Have you ever heard that the secret of eating an elephant is one bite at a time?
2. Be forgiving.
It’s difficult to establish new habits. Be forgiving of yourself and keep striving toward the smaller goals you have established. If you fall off the horse, don’t be discouraged. Get back on board and keep your focus on the small, achievable goal you have set for yourself — one step at a time. Remember, it takes a long time to establish new habits. You will probably not restructure your life on the first attempt without setbacks along the way.
The trick is being determined to reach your small goals one at a time in order to accomplish the long-term objective.
3. Allow time.
As you reach your smaller goals, allow adequate time for that goal to become rooted. Be understanding with yourself if you have an off-day. Resume the next day where you left off. Remember change is a process.
Even if it takes longer than you anticipated, when you put effort into developing the necessary framework for meeting your goal, you will still be better off than you were …and you will be that much closer to your long-term changes.
4. Keep track of your progress.
Consider documenting your progress. You don’t have to keep a lengthy journal of your everyday successes and failures. However, you will most likely benefit from being able to open a journal of some kind to remind yourself of the progress you have made … or to remind yourself of where you need to step up your game.
As you attain the smaller goals you have set, you will be ensuring the success of your greater goal.
The process of setting and achieving goals can be exciting.
When you learn a method that works for you, you will be more encouraged to set even more goals you would like to achieve in the future. This journey can open your eyes to what you are capable of achieving. After that, the sky is the limit!
Tell us about what works (or doesn’t) for sticking to your resolutions in the comments section below.
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Thanks! This is just what I needed today, after a rough day yesterday.
I have written down these tips on an index card, placed where I will see it as I work.
Every little tidbit of wisdom helps!
I found this article to be very encouraging. I like the part about being forgiving to yourself because it’s usually when we have missed the mark that we throw in the towel and forget the whole thing. Setting goals can be daunting if we take on too much too soon. This article offers great tips on how to remain steady in reaching our goals.