It is that time again to welcome the New Year into our life;
to some it’s just another day and to others it is a time to start new and
reinvent parts that may not have been the best from last year. Some people
believe it is silly to mark January 1st as a starting point for when
to come up with new ideas and change the negative in their lives but is it
really?
An entire year is the marking point of events that goes on
in our life such as moving, getting married, getting divorced, having babies or
getting that awesome job. We remember things based on the year, for example one
would say I was married in 2014.
Having a date or a specific date that can mean
something to a person gives people more motivating to start doing something
different or setting goals to change in life. Starting a new habit, a new
hobby, changing or making goals on a special day as a New Year, a new mark on
the calendar, an entire New Year is refreshing and encouraging and should be
made useful.
Many people joke and make fun of the New Year resolution bit
because there may be reason to, most New Year resolutions are only carried out
for a few months then people go back to the way things were before January 1st
of the new year. But, that doesn’t mean people should discourage you from
making goals and changing things about yourself for the future. Only 9% of the
population write down their goals and when most people talk about resolutions
they just think of the one last year and promise that they’re going to do it
this time.
There are many ways to go about marking the New Year for
changes and keep it all the way throughout the year.
1. Make reasonable resolutions. If you say that you want to
start working out then don’t start out January 1st saying you are
going to go to the gym 5 days a week. Start slow and work your way up. Start at
2 times a week because if you never go to the gym then that is way more than
what you did before you made the goal.
2. Write down your goals and resolutions and write it in
present tense. If you want to get a promotion at work then state; “I got a
promotion at work in 2015!” Tape it to your wall or place it as a screensaver
on your computer so you can see it in your face every day.
3. Focus on one goal or resolution. Having too make at once can
stretch you too thin and make it difficult to focus on it all. Having one gives
your undivided attention to it and you have a high chance of completing it than
having 25.
4. Tell everyone about your goal so you can be held
accountable. Isn’t it annoying when someone asks you “How’s the book coming
along?” This type of question will keep you motivated and will give you answers
to the questions you are asked. Tell the whole world; write it on Facebook,
Tell everyone on Twitter, call all your friends. Telling everyone will hold you
accountable because your friends are going to ask you about the thing you hyped
up and talked about all over social media.
5. Write in a journal about your goal and the ways you can
accomplish it. Get a journal or notebook and just write, this is just for your
thoughts and emotions about it so it doesn’t matter what it says. Break the
goal/s down into details and figure out an action plan.
6. Every single day do one thing towards your goals or
resolutions. Life is always about taking two steps forward and one step back
but if you continue to make those steps, you will eventually reach your goal.
If you do even the smallest thing towards your goal such as eating an apple
instead of donuts then that is one tiny step towards your healthy eating goal.
Or buying a book on how to blog instead of actually blogging. Just always have
the goal/s on your mind and make it your life.
7. Never give up. If you slacked off for a few months, don’t
say forget it, maybe next year I will get it right; start again, no matter what
month it is (even if its December).
8. Don’t let the naysayers deter you from making New Year
resolutions or having goals starting January 1st because there are
many people in this world that do follow through and that do stick with it.
I
write New Year goals every year on December 31st and pull up my old
ones from last year. I will usually have completed most of the goals and if
there are some that I didn’t the last year, I will add them on to the next. I
have accomplished many things in life and reached for the stars but I can
always improve and be better. I know that because of the goals I prepare each
year, I am able to be more successful in life. Remember, if you write out your
goals then you’re in the top 9% of the population, and that is exciting.
xo
Redefine & Align
