The New Year is just days away, and if you’re like most people you have a list of all the New Year’s Resolutions you plan and on achieving in the coming year. You may have dreams of losing 25 pounds, running a marathon, getting your finances in order or finding that perfect match – all worthy goals! However, if you’ve ever set New Year’s Resolutions before, you have a reasonably good idea of how it will turn out. For most people, they don’t even keep their resolutions through the end of January.
So what can you do to meet the goals that you set? Reaching any goal is a challenge. No matter what time of the year, when you decide to break out of your routine, you’re going to face struggles, backlash and even lack of motivation. If you really want to achieve your goals you’re going to have to work extra hard to get out of your routine. Here are some tips to doing just that – breaking your routine so you can achieve any goal you set your mind to.
Set Realistic New Year’s Resolutions – Lofty goals are wonderful, and we should all have those dreams that seem just a little too big to achieve, but if you’re new to setting and achieving goals you’ll want to start small. Get a few wins under your belt before you set larger than life goals. If you dream of one day climbing Mount Everest you’re probably going to need to learn how to climb first. Take some lessons and work your way up to the big goals and dreams.
Dream Big – While it is wise to start small you should always be aiming higher. After you’ve reached one of your goals set another one that builds on the success of the last one.
Break it Down – All resolutions, goals and dreams can be broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks. If you’ve decided to lose 50 pounds this year that can be an overwhelming task. However, when you break it down it comes out to 4.16 pounds per month or a little less than one pound per week – something that seems ridiculously achievable. Breaking down a task, goal or any project you hope to achieve is the best way to make it happen. You no longer face overwhelm and instead can just get to the business of getting the job down.
Ask for Support – If your New Year’s Resolution is to run a marathon this year you might search for a running buddy to help keep you on track. Finding a mentor or someone who has run a marathon before is a great way to learn from their experience and garner the support you will need to stay on track with your training. They are also a wonderful resource when you don’t feel like getting up before dawn to run a few miles in the rain. Support is key to achieving any goal so don’t discount it and don’t go it alone.
Switch Gears if Necessary – It’s okay to change your mind about fulfilling a New Year’s Resolution. If you decided that the goal you have chosen is something you are no longer interested in or feel you have the ability to achieve, it’s okay to switch gears and try something else.