We all do it at the end of each year; coming up with those New Years resolutions! Let’s face it…how long do you ACTUALLY stick to these goals? 1 month? 1 week? 1 day?!
New Years resolutions tend to be quite large goals that people want to accomplish. The always famous – lose weight, eat healthier, save money. Do you want to know the MAJOR issue with all of these goals?!
They are way to broad! Goals need to be specific, have a deadline and be achievable. For example: lose weight – I personally would like to lose 15 lbs by the end of April.
- This is specific in that I stated the amount of pounds
- It has a set time line to be accomplished by April
- And It is achievable because 15 lbs between now and then is not an insane amount
So your now thinking about these goals you would like to accomplish but first let’s take a step back and first look at your life right now.
- Are you an unorganized person but want to overhaul and organize your whole life?
- Do you eat junk food all the time but now instantly want to eat healthier?
- Are you a big shopper but you want to start a savings this year?
- Are you a relatively sedentary person who now wants to be a gym junky?
All of these have something in common. Going from one extreme to the other.
So you have big goals, that’s wonderful! But we need to take baby steps to make these goals achievable in just 6 easy steps.
Step one: Define who you are right in this moment and be honest with yourself.
- I procrastinate like no other, I have a very organized mindset but my house does not reflect that, and lastly I am not the most active person although I’d like to be.
Step two: WRITE IT DOWN! – having a goal in writing makes it more “set in stone” rather than just saying what you want to do in your mind. Use this Goals! sheet I made to help yourself along!
Take one sheet of paper and write your goal at the top of it with today’s date. (Do one sheet for each goal)
Step three: Now think about the steps it will take for you to achieve this goal. And write this down under your goal leaving space between each step (in case you think of something else you might need to do to reach your goal).
Each step should be small and specific. This makes it more achievable in the end.
Step four: Write a time frame that you would like to achieve each step by. I suggest giving each step a 30 day time frame. I fully believe in the fact that if you do something every day for 30 days it will become second nature.
So you want to procrastinate less? Give yourself 30 days to start by realizing the small things that you do throughout your day that take 2 minutes or less to do, and DO THEM. Do it right then, not 5 minutes from now or later this is just adding to your long list of things to do hence the procrastinating.
Step five: Now that this is in writing, hang it up where you will see it everyday!
- To make this something that catches your eye – decorate it and make it pretty to look at.
Step six: Tell all the people around you what your goals are. Better yet find someone close to you who has the same or similar goals to hold each other accountable.
Now that you have these goals written down and hung up. Start doing your first step now! Why wait for the new year? Because they are New Year’s resolutions?
NO! Making these goals and then waiting to start is just setting yourself up for failure. Once you have these written down there is no reason to start when the calendar reads January 1st.
I know I know it’s the holiday season and you want to eat healthy BUT all the Christmas sweets are around. Well look back at your timeline cutting out sugar completely should not be the first step. Just like hitting the gym on a daily basis should not be the first step.
Alright good now you have your list set up to your liking.
Next you need to make sure you have the tools accessible for each step.
- Your exercise goal that starts with daily walks – get some good tennis shoes that are supportive
- Your organizational goal that starts with to do lists – get a physical To Do pad that you can hang up in plain site
- Your saving money goal that starts with $1 a week – Find and open only a savings account at a different bank and set up automatic transfers
Having the tools needed will make it so that you are less likely to trail off and not finish what you started.
PERFECT! You have your goals, timeline, and tools needed. So what’s next? It is time to get out there and start doing!
Do you really want to fail your New Year’s resolutions this year? No? I didn’t think so. So why don’t we call them New Year’s goals to get rid of that negative connotation and get started on the right foot. And don’t forget my attached sheet to help you get started! Goals!
So what are you wanting to accomplish? Let me know and we can all hold each other accountable!
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