Making New Year’s Resolutions the Right Way
The new year is a time of refreshment and renewal for many. It represents the coming and passing of time, and with it, a host of new possibilities appear on the horizon. Around this time of year, people set goals for whatever they’d like to accomplish. Often, however, these fall flat on their face after only a couple of weeks.
What if there was a better way to go about making resolutions that you could actually achieve? Check out these five tips for advice on how you can do just that.
Five New Year’s Resolution Tips:
1. Be realistic.
Real change takes time. You can’t expect to become superman overnight. However, if you put realistic expectations behind your line of thinking for whatever goals you’re trying to achieve, you’re much more likely to reach the finish line.
One way of properly going about this is through reflection. Instead of thinking ahead, think back. What did you accomplish last year? Exactly how long did it take for you to achieve this? By drawing from past experience, you can paint a more accurate picture for reaching your resolutions.
2. Take small steps.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” -Lao Tzu
Going all out to achieve a goal almost never works. If you heard a story of someone whose quick changes seemed almost too good to be true, it probably was. Real, lasting change doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with a concentrated effort to practicing your goal day in and day out until you see the results you desire, even if this means taking it in small pieces starting out.
3. Be persistent.
“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.
There might be days where you don’t feel like doing anything at all to reach your resolution. Some days you may show the effort of a snail, while others you come to an all-out sprint. Either way, you have to get yourself up and continue on with persistence to readily achieve your goal.
4. Find what motivates you.
Finding what motivates you the most is a great starting point for reaching goals. For example, the prospect of giving yourself a small reward after working towards a goal may entice you to practice the behavior repeatedly.
Motivation can only be found from within, but you can build it externally if you know where to look.
5. Practice visualization.
Some believe that the mind can create reality. Practicing visualization is one technique to achieving resolutions. Basically, you sit down and imagine yourself having already accomplished a goal. Do it enough and your brain will fill in the holes for steps to achieve this. Read more about visualization techniques here.
