5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - wait! This year's goals have not even been fully met yet.
Oh, it happens every 12 months. As the year approaches its end and we are led into an optimistic new beginning, we start to think about everything we want to accomplish within the next 365 days. Come to think of it, 365 days is not really a grand amount of time. Can someone please extend the calendar? Anyways, come December 31st we start to dream big and become over ambitious with tons of motivation and enthusiasm. Yes, January is an exciting month. But then February and March rolls past us too quickly for us to notice, and suddenly we have forgotten nearly half if not all of those plans and resolutions we set for ourselves on January 1st. Let me think of a few popular resolutions:
Lose a certain amount of weight
Give the house a makeover
Start the dream job
Launch the business
Gain a thousand new clients
Travel once a quarter
Read 100 books
These are all very common goals and admirable ones, but why do many of us have trouble meeting our goals or even surpassing them? Personally, it has been several years now that I have avoided making any resolutions for myself since I too found that I was going about it all wrong. Some resolutions are too widespread, and others are too ambitious. We need to first have more realistic expectations and secondly, we need to have a plan. Having a goal without a plan does not help with successfully achieving any goal. Be more realistic with your resolution(s).
Let us say for instance that you want to lose weight but have no experience exercising or dieting. It will not happen by just cutting out chocolate and it will not happen with just doing a few jumping jacks. Find a workout routine that you enjoy and set a schedule. Discover a workout routine that you truly enjoy so that staying consistent is not a second thought. Maybe even hire a personal trainer. And instead of focusing on the number on the scale, focus on how you feel. Ask yourself 3 months into your workout if you are feeling better? Are your clothes fitting you better? Remember that the scale is not just weighing fat, it is also weighing muscles and as you continue to exercise, your muscles will grow.
Whatever your resolutions are for the next year, there really is only one resolution that you should focus on.
Become a better version of yourself than you were last year.
That is how you can make next year better than the last. Begin by writing down what you would like to improve in yourself and in your life that you have control over.
For instance, you can write down the following:
Improve my time management... with a daily planner.
Improve my organization skills... by scheduling chores.
Improve my spending habits... with budgeting.
Improve my health... with diet and exercise.
Improve my marriage... with open communication.
Improve my happiness... with professional therapy.
Reduce my bad habits... by drinking and smoking less.
After you have written down how you plan on becoming a better version of yourself, which is the ultimate goal, make sure to pin it up on your annual vision board. Vision boards are important to help you stay on track with your plans. If you do not write down your goals and do not have them visible to you on a daily basis, how are you going to stay in the win-or-win mindset? You cannot. With everything you do in a day, it is easy to forget or delay your personal goals.
Also, I would highly recommend you get yourself a personal planner that breaks down your days, has an overview of the month, and has a section for notes. With a vision board and a daily planner, you can keep your eyes on your goals and track your progress. Keep in mind that progress takes time. I am definitely the worst at being patient with myself. I am the type of person that wants to see results quick, but I have learned to practice patience with myself and my business. So just remember to stay dedicated to what you are after. Learn from your mistakes and keep growing into a better version of yourself.
Now before the year ends, think about everything that you accomplished this year. It is sometimes surprising to look back and remember all the things we did achieve. Do not get caught up in feeling negative towards the things you did not achieve. Just analyze the task(s) again and set a plan of achievement for the new year. Giving your goals a second chance is always better than just quitting after just the first round. The new year does not mean a new you, it means a better you. With all the warmth in my heart, I wish you luck in your improvements.
Happy New Year!
XoXo,
Ody
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