New Year, New You 2015 Chapter One

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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 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 1^st 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 31^st 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