Another year has come to a close. It’s January 2, 2017. Where did 2016 go? How are you doing on your New Year goals so far?
Are these the same resolutions you’ve set for the past few years? I can relate!
On New Year’s Eve, when we toast at midnight, we are certain that this is the year we’ll lose ten pounds/workout more/eat healthier/spend less. But so often, life gets in the way! After a few days into the New Year, we are back to our old habits again.
But it doesn’t have to be that way…I have a solution for you to finally be able to keep those New Year goals. You can avoid the disappointment of yet another failed resolution by following the tips I am about to share with you today.
How to Set New Year Goals – and Actually Succeed
Take Time to Reflect
Take time to reflect on the previous year:
- What do you have to be thankful for?
- What have you have accomplished as an individual?
- How have you cared for your loved ones, and what have you made possible for them?
- Which mistakes did you make, including failed or abandoned resolutions from last year?
- What do you think are the reasons for your shortcomings?
By taking a good, hard look at where we’ve been, we can really focus on where we want to go.
Acknowledging what we have to be thankful for puts us in a positive mindset.
Evaluating our failures and what we think caused them forces us to be mindful as we implement new changes.
With every New Year’s Day, I reflect on the good and the “not so good” from the previous year and look forward to what the new year will bring. It feels good to press that “reset” button and have a fresh start after all the holiday craziness!
One of my happiest moments in 2016, the day we closed on our new house
Look forward with a Realistic But Positive Attitude
None of us is perfect. At the start of the new year, you may stick to your New Year goals for a while. But as the year progresses and we settle into our daily routines, things may begin to unravel. You will probably not eat well at every meal, as you’ve planned. And, you probably won’t stick to working out as regularly as you promised yourself you would. You might stick to your savings plan initially, but then…those shoes, tho!
Stay Accountable
These slip-ups are really ok, as long as you stay accountable. Accountability is key!
- Abandon the “all or nothing” approach to New Year goals.
- Monitor your progress in keeping your resolutions as the year unfolds.
Be Honest With Yourself
- As you monitor your progress, acknowledge your accomplishments, as well as your setbacks.
- Do not consider a setback a “failure”.
- Consciously identify the reasons that caused your setback:
Going forward, make an effort to avoid the causes of your setbacks. For instance, let’s say you were out running errands all day and skipped lunch. When you got home, you ate a huge piece of leftover birthday cake before starting dinner. You felt so guilty afterwards – you had done so well up until this point!
The reason you ate the cake is because you didn’t plan for lunch. Or, at the very least, carry a snack in your purse. Going forward, you can learn from this and make the necessary changes to your routine.
The important thing is that we are aware…
If we know where we have been, have a vision for where we want to go, and know where we currently are, it’s all good!
Good Things Will Happen in 2017
If you’ve made the same New Year’s resolution every year, it’s time for a change!
Make the commitment to yourself to approach your New Year goals differently this year. Abandon the “all or nothing” approach to your New Year’s resolutions.
Make the commitment to yourself to succeed by monitoring your progress. Stay accountable.
Track and reward your successes. Identify the reasons for the failures. Own and learn from them.
Keep a clear picture in your mind of what you would like to achieve, and take one day at a time!
Happy New Year!
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