What a year 2020 was!
It was unlike any other we’ve all seen, that’s for sure.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad to put some things about 2020 in the past, such as COVID-19. I’m believing for a much better 2021 on all levels, as I’m sure you are too.
With the New Year here, most people start writing down or making a mental assent to New Year Resolutions. In fact, many people come up with a whole list of New Year’s Resolutions and have great intentions of following through with them.
Some common resolutions include losing weight, eating healthier, exercising regularly, beginning a hobby, and getting out to have more fun.
I think resolutions are great because essentially, they are goals. And, having goals in life is a wonderful way to make progress. It’s helpful to create personal, professional, social, relationship, and financial goals in mind and written down on paper to be at your best or at least be progressing.
Along with New Year’s Resolutions come challenges. I’m sure most of us have made a resolution and broken it within a few weeks due to one reason or another. If this is the case for you, take heart. Read further for some of the challenges of New Year’s Resolutions and then head into your New Year pumped up for the changes you’d like to see happen.
Creating goals for the New Year is probably the easiest part of New Year’s resolutions. Most people have some pretty high hopes and dreams that they want to accomplish, but the challenge comes when they get one to two weeks into the New Year and forget all about those resolutions. There certainly are challenges when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions.
However, there are things you can do to get past them.
To accomplish any goal, it takes some motivation on your part. As I’m sure you know, sometimes it is tough to feel motivated to keep working toward a goal. You might lose two pounds and be eating great for a while, but then the motivation wanes and before you know it, you’re back to your unhealthy eating habits.
Or maybe you’ve been feeling lonely and would like some new friends. You might attend a community gathering once or twice, and then get right back to hibernating at home.
You simply lose steam.
To keep your motivation levels high, there are several things that you can do. The first thing to do is to write your New Year’s Resolutions down on a piece of paper and then put that list in a place that you will see frequently. Put it on the fridge, on your bathroom mirror, at the office, or on your dashboard.
You can even have your Echo or Alexa device remind you of your list every day.
The key is to see (or hear) your goals each day so that you don’t forget what your resolutions are.
This helps you to stay motivated.
The second thing you can do is to listen to or read motivational audio that will keep you inspired and encouraged to keep moving forward toward your goals. There are plenty of motivational speakers and authors that gladly share tips and tricks to get you where you want to go. Get on YouTube and watch or listen to them daily. Try Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Les Brown, and Oprah for starters.
One thing that keeps people from accomplishing goals are their thoughts. Your thoughts matter, as thoughts influence your emotions, attitude, and behavior. If you are thinking predominantly negative thoughts, chances are your attitude and behaviors are affected. This decreases your chances of accomplishing your goals.
Good news is you can train your brain to become more positive. Positive affirmations are a great start. I encourage you to make a list of positive affirmations or statements about yourself and your goals. Say these affirmations out loud as often as you can, as they will help your thoughts go from negative to positive.
As you speak them, try to feel the emotions associated with them too. Feel empowered, joyful, excited, courageous, etc.
If you want the New Year to be different, understand the phrase:
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
What this means is that you have got to make the effort to make some changes in order to accomplish your goals. For example, let’s say you want to save $5,000 next year in your savings account. This might not be the first time you’ve made a resolution to save money, but at the end of the year you end up with no money in savings.
Why?
Not enough changes were made in your life. Good intentions and even writing down a goal will not bring about change. Sit down and figure out what needs to change.
Really make the effort to make some changes, because the reality is that “nothing changes if nothing changes.”
Set Realistic Goals
Do your best to set realistic goals. If you set goals that are unrealistic, you’ll become frustrated and give up. If you’re not sure if your goals are realistic, perhaps you can ask a friend or family member for their input. Just be sure they are positive people, rather than “Negative Nellies”.
Set milestones if you desire. For example, if you want to attend college and get a degree, set a milestone for the steps toward attaining that degree.
There’s no time like right now to get started on attaining your goals.
It is the perfect time of year to set your New Year’s Resolutions. Sit down and create a short-term and long-term goal list and create an action plan to accomplish the goals. Take your time as you really mull over the areas of your life you want to change and new goals you’d like to accomplish. Then place that list in a spot that you will see frequently.
You can accomplish your goals step by step as you keep yourself motivated and celebrate your progression along the way.
And don’t forget to enjoy your journey.
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
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One comment on “New Year: New, Wonderful You”
Goals
As I read, nothing changes if nothing changes. Most times I feel like this a slave way of saying things to me even after what you witness around me. I know I am a person of what they used to say you are Brutally Honest when you tell people what they need to know. I know this is because I can take a punch when someone brings to my attention what I need to hear. You say I need to make a list and do something every day on this list. I see it's being seen now. I have goals, and going to school isn't one of them. I don't need a degree to define me. My plans always seem to be interfered with or stop because you have plans for me you want me to follow. I have never been a book person and I see this as a burden on life. Do you want to have student debt to pay back something or someone? My life is being taken away for what reason? I may talk too much about what I felt I have in me, but the outcome of what I did or being done to me was of God. If you still think I am talking out of my head or something, that's your belief. I know God is in this. I was white would you be doing me like this? Or would you better understand what I have been saying? I felt the presence, and I have heard the holy spirit speak out to me when I felt myself slipping away with fear. As I said, I have lost my zest and all this you have done to me. I know can't do anything about it. God will not let it go undone. You move friends out of my life so you can control who I surround myself with. Maybe God had those people in my life for a reason of his plan for my life. You wouldn't ever hear me speaking of my experiences if I didn't. You made attempts on the road and what was done was of God. There's nothing that stands above God and his power. I believe it and I try to show others believe it too. You say I buy unnecessary things and try to save money at the same time. I don't get this. I am very unsettled in my life and I see myself with thought after another because of what you're doing to me. I wish someone will face me instead of doing what you're doing.