As you get ready for the start of a New Year, just about half of you will be thinking about setting some New Year resolutions. To help you get past the first few weeks and month, here are our Ten Top Tips for keeping your resolutions alive.
1. Write it down – you’re 80% more likely to achieve your goals if you’ve written what you want to achieve and by when. Ideally put it somewhere you can read it every day. Even better, find a picture that captures your goal as images can sometimes stimulate your imagination and motivate you far greater than words.
2. Be realistic – if you are a size 16 and want to become a size 10 in just 3 weeks then it’s time to ask yourself, ‘is this realistic?’ You need to set realistic goals that you believe you can achieve, if they are too far removed and out of reach, you’ll quickly become disillusioned.
3. Clear intention – now that you know you are being realistic, ask yourself the next question, ‘why?’ Having a clear intention as to why you want to change is important. If you’re doing it because everyone else is, someone suggested it or you feel pressured into it then the intention is not personally motivated. If you’re not driving the change, you’ll quickly become the back seat critic.
4. Chunk it down – if your aim is to achieve something by Easter then break down your goal to weekly or monthly targets. Just like a work project if you have something to aim for in the short term not only will you be more likely to reach it, but you will be able to conceive and believe in your future successes.
5. Buddy – share the task in hand with someone who equally wants the same goal as you. Just as a trouble shared is a trouble halved, then sharing a goal can seem less daunting if someone is going through the experience with you. If you take it in turns to push each other then you double the chance of getting there.
6. Cross train – don’t get caught up in just sticking to one way of achieving your goal. Just like cross training at a gym, the more variety you can bring to your routine in achieving your goal, the more you will build up other mental and physical muscles to make you a more rounded person.
7. Aim to fail – if don’t start something until you feel you’re better at it, have the right shoes, know more people etc., then it could quite possibly freeze you into in-action. If you aim to fail from the start, then it’ll encourage you to do something rather than do nothing. And you’ll be surprised as to what you actually can achieve!
8. Role model – you don’t have to re-invent the wheel, so if someone has done what you’re trying to do already, why not use them as a role model. Just as children like to copy their idols, even dress up and act like them you too can copy your role models and learn from their successes and mistakes.
9. Rewards – stop and acknowledge that you’re trying your best, doing some or all of your goals and even when you attempt and fail. We know that the carrot and stick approach doesn’t work and that incentives do. So give yourself a break and reward your achievements along the way rather than waiting for the big party at the end.
10. Something new – if you keep choosing the same resolution year in year out, not only will be bored of it, but you’ll be de-motivated even before you begin. Try something new or something ridiculous like rock climbing, salsa dancing or singing; anything that will encourage learning and new skills. By starting as a novice at something new, the only way is up!