There’s
an ancient Chinese proverb that says:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The
second best time is now.”
Once
you’re done with your year - end reflection for the year that ended, it’s time to look
forward to the year that’s about to start. What will you write for the next
chapter of your life? It’s entirely up to you. Take the first step to make sure
that it’s a good great chapter by setting New Year’s resolutions.
The New Year is still as excellent a time as any to start working towards the changes you want to make. And more important than when you start is how you go about changing your behaviour.
Every year,
millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive
change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health
and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and
professional development.
The top 10 most
common resolutions will look familiar to you;))
1.
Exercise more.
2.
Lose weight.
3.
Cut down on
sugar.
4. Learn a new
skill or take up a new hobby.
5. Meet friends and
relatives more often.
6. Save more money
/ spend less money
7. Quit fast food
and fizzy drinks.
8. Learn more.
9. Travel more.
10.Read more.
If you want to accomplish your New Year’s resolution this year, follow these 10 steps:
1)
Start by committing to a change that is easy to do.
2) Make your New
Year's resolutions happen.
Despite the best of intentions,
once the glow of a fresh new year wears off, many people struggle to make good
on their plans. According to a study published in
the Journal of Clinical Psychology, only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions
were successful. That means over half of the people who set a
goal for the new year will fail!
3) Mentally prepare
for change.
Naturally, your resolution may
focus on areas that lack progress, but don’t forget to savor the progress made,
and find some small way to celebrate. Those happy feelings are useful! If
possible, try to associate them with an object or word related to your
accomplishment.
As you start thinking about the
changes you want to implement, make sure to do the following:
- Stay positive
- Try not to make big/quick changes
- Change should be gradual
- Build on smaller changes
- Allow a little room for error
4. Set a goal that
motivates you.
You would be surprised how often
people set goals that are not for themselves.
Make sure the goal you set is important
to you and only you and that there
is value or benefit for you in achieving the goal.
5. Limit resolutions to a manageable amount.
We all
want to learn 25 different languages, 15 new job skills, and
eliminate 5 bad habits, but we are not superheroes. We only have so much
attention span we can dedicate to self-improvement, so having too many
resolutions is a great way not to achieve the many goals you have set out for
yourself.
Thus, you should make a short list of resolutions that you can manage in the upcoming year. Knowing that short list of priorities is the hard part. The key is understanding how to prioritize.
Final thought: It’s better to tackle one resolution well than multiple resolutions poorly.
6. Break up big goals
into smaller goals.
A lot of us tend to be overeager when it comes to resolutions. We
have the best of intentions and may accidentally take on a goal that is too big
to achieve. Thus, it’s helpful to divide a big goal into smaller goals that are
more achievable.
You can break up your year-long
resolution into weekly or monthly goals. And have tasks planned for each month.
1. January: ………………………..
2. March: ……………………..
3. May: ……………………..
4. July: ……………………
5. September: …………………..
7. Write down your
goals.
Written goals are a reminder of how far you have come and what you have achieved. It’s a nice feeling to look at back at the end of next year, and know your resolution has come to fruition.
8. Share your
resolutions with others.
“If a tree falls in a forest and
no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”
It’s great to make a resolution
for yourself and maybe even write it down, but if no one else knows about it,
it’s easy to forget about or even ignore. And when you don’t achieve it, no one
will notice or care.
Crazy as it sounds, this sense of
guilt is often more powerful than self-motivation. The upshot here is that when
you do succeed, the people you shared with will celebrate with you!
9. Review your resolution
regularly.
Let’s face it, if you are not
thinking about your resolution regularly, you are not going to follow through.
Thus, a crucial part of realizing your goal is a regular review.
10. If you fall off
track, get back on quickly.
Rome was not built in a day.
We’ve established it will take
time for your resolution to become a reality and we know change is difficult.
In fact, we’ve already established we should leave some room for mistakes and
setbacks.
A few small
mistakes shouldn’t spoil your resolution for the year!
We hope these 10 steps help you follow through with your resolutions and make 2021 your best year ever!!!
https://blog.rescuetime.com/new-years-resolutions/
https://www.goskills.com/Soft-Skills/Resources/Top-10-new-years-resolutions
