During this holiday season, many people think about making resolutions for the New Year. Perhaps you’ve tried them before, with limited success. Or, you may be one of the few who has been able to stick to them so well that you no longer have anything you want to improve upon. If that is true, please share your secrets with the rest of us.
If you are like many others, you resolved to make an important change in your life, whether to quit smoking, to lose weight, to get on an exercise program, or some other worthwhile goal. Yet, within a few weeks, you found it increasingly difficult to stick to the program. That can become quite frustrating and can lead to feelings of failure and low self-worth. Without a clear understanding of goal setting and strategies for attainment, you could actually be setting yourself up for disappointment.
Many people make New Year’s Resolutions because they think they “should” make them, or because they “should” lose weight, quit smoking, or exercise. We tend to not be as committed to doing something we should do as much as we are to something that we really want to do. Doing something because we think we should rather than because we want to is a recipe for failure.
If there is something you really want to do and are fully committed to, then why wait for the New Year? What is wrong with the first of July, or March, or December? Actually, what is wrong with the 14th of the month? The point is, if you really want to lose weight, quit smoking, or begin that exercise program, the best time to start is right away.
So, before making that New Year’s Resolution, ask yourself whether it is something you really want to accomplish, or is it something that, “…would be nice.” Unless you are ready to commit to yourself that you will do whatever it takes to be successful, forget about the New Year’s Resolution and just have a safe and Happy New Year. When you are ready to commit to your success, go get the support you need to accomplishing your goal. Be clear about your desired outcome; imagine yourself having accomplished that outcome and how amazing that feels. When you do that, you’ll be well on your way to success. How cool is that!
All the best,
Karl
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