Have you heard of “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day”?
The day that most people would have given up on their new year’s resolutions by. Maybe its because the initial buzz has died and you are back into your routine. However there’s another theory. This post is about forgetting resolutions and focusing on your goals instead.
So what is the difference between a resolution and a goal? Why is it that so many resolutions get ditched you can’t make the changes a reality? Let’s look at the two and how we can set ourselves up for success.
New Year’s Resolutions
A new year’s resolution tends to be an overall grand statement, such as
- “I want to lose weight.”
- “I’m going to read more books” or
- “I am going to start to exercise.”
It could be described as a decision, a statement of what you want to change. An open-ended promise to yourself. But it doesn’t go any further than that. There is no working out how make changes that will stick, so you can keep to the resolutions. Plus this is at a time of year when there has been a lot going on and you are probably craving a rest more than anything else. When you’re back to routine after Christmas, and back to reality and you might view it as something else to add in. No wonder people get disheartened and stop trying. Do you want to be one of those people? Or do you want to create rituals and habits to make sure you succeed in the changes you want to make?
A New Year Goal (or a goal set at any time of the year)
A goal goes deeper and more detailed than a resolution. It’s specifically what you want to achieve and by when. So the examples above might become
- I will lose one stone by June
- I am going to read one book a month
- I am going to start walking three times a week
Setting goals, and the actions that go alongside them, helps trigger new behaviours, helps guides your focus and helps you sustain that momentum in life. Goals also help align your focus and promote a sense of self-mastery. I know from recent personal experience, that when you set goals it really helps you to feel empowered and in control of where you’re going in life. I know I’m so excited for the year ahead!
If you desire that feeling too, I’ve put together a list of 5 ways to ensure success with your goals this year. Read keep on reading for the details.
1. Know your Why
Knowing why the goal is so important to you, will spur you on to achieve the goal, even on the days it feels a little bit more tough. Your why should be personal to you. It’s the reason why you personally want to achieve that specific goal. Your goal should excite you. Make you want to jump out of bed in the morning and get started. They should provide value to your life and give joy. If they don’t, they’re not the right goals.
2. Write Down your Goals
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
An article on forbes.com states that vividly describing your goals in written form is associated with goal success and people who do this are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to accomplish their goals. This is why I include writing goals for the month as part of Reflect and Glow, my mini-membership for empowering your mindset and self-care rituals. Click here to read more about it.
So write down your goals and how you are going to achieve them. Use pictures and drawings if that will also help you, this could be in the form of a vision board. But that’s a post for another day.
3. Create Success Anchors
It can be challenging to stay positive, focused and motivated. One way to ensure success when implementing changes is to create success anchors. They serve as reminders about why we’ve set the goals and inspire you to keep going.
Ways you could do this include
- Create a vision board and display in somewhere you’ll see it all the time
- Change the wallpaper or screensaver on your phone to motivational message, or your goals written out
- A mantra that you recite.
4. Say It Loud and Proud
I’ve seen quotes around keeping quiet about your goals, which I just don’t understand. Should you not be proud of what you want to achieve? One way to focus on your goals is to tell people about what you are working towards and they can help keep you accountable. Not only that but your goals are likely to impact those around you, so it’s important to get them on board and supporting you.
5. Daily Practices
Remind yourself of your goals every day. A great time to do this is first thing in the day, before your mind has had a chance to absorb information from other sources, such as the TV and social media. Grab yourself a drink of water and sit and review your goals, re-writing them out would also be beneficial. Amy Landino talks about this in her daily rituals video
If journaling is your thing, I recommend you check out the Daily Greatness range. It is jam-packed full of inspiration and if you follow this link, you can use my discount code! I’ve also written more about them here
You are also likely to enjoy Reflect and Glow, which includes three prompts per week you can use as journaling prompts. Click here to read more details and sign up.
Stay Focused but Also Be Kind to Yourself
Life gets busy sometimes. Maybe this or this or this. You’re allowed to have a bad morning or day. Accept that it happens and don’t be too hard on yourself. Then don’t let it turn into a bad week and get straight back on it.
It’s not too late to set goals for this year. In fact I’ve heard of people not setting them right at the beginning of January because they don’t want to get caught up in the buzz and at a time when you haven’t got a full idea of what your routine is.
I would love to hear what your goals are. Perhaps leave me a comment below.
[…] post isn’t about new year’s resolutions; you can read my post about that here. It is about clearing the clutter from last year so you can start the new year afresh. Embrace […]
[…] published a couple of posts recently about how to meet your goals. You can read them here and here. One of the ways to guarantee success, is to know (and stay connected to) your why. It’s […]