Happy New Year everyone! I know that I certainly have much to look forward to in 2016, and I hope you, dear reader, do too. If you are anything like me, then you most likely spent the last day or so of 2015 thinking about what you did over the year, the good things, the not-so-good things and what you want to do differently in the coming year. You probably wrote down some resolutions or goals for the new year ahead. Well, if you did that, then you might be standing over your list, wondering how you are going to keep all of those resolutions. They all sound like wonderful things that you should be doing and accomplishing, but you have already started to slip on some of them. Well, here are a few pointers and tips to help keep you on track with your resolutions.
First, I don't really like calling them "resolutions". In my mind, the word is weak and has a connotation of something that a person writes down, does for a few weeks and then gives up on. Personally, I like to call them "promises to myself". That triggers something inside my head that says, "You'd better keep this promise. After all, you wouldn't want to be known as someone who breaks her promises." By labeling them as such, I have a stronger urge and motivation to do them.
Next, it is important to tell someone else your list of goals and promises. You need someone who will keep you accountable throughout the year when you start to slip back into old habits. I suggest telling a close friend or family member. Speaking your promises to someone else not only cements them in your own head and helps you remember them, but it also adds another person that you don't want to disappoint. Having someone that will encourage you and help you get back on track during the tough times is critical if you want to keep your resolutions.
My last piece of advice is to examine your list of goals and promises, and make sure they are manageable and personal. They should all be something that you want to do or accomplish. If it is something you feel like you have to do but don't really want to, then you probably are not going to follow through with it. Make sure your list is filled with things that are personal and that you want to accomplish for yourself, not things that you feel like you have to do. Don't try to impress anyone else with your lofty goals. Impress yourself. Make the you of the past year look at the you of the present year and be jealous. The only person you have anything to prove to is yourself. I wish you all the best for the coming year, dear readers. And I hope my little pieces of advice help you accomplish amazing things this year.
