Aahhh, how can it be February already?? If you're like me, it may feel like it was just yesterday when you woke up feeling a bit bleary eyed and worse for wear from your New Years shenanigans the night before. You may have had big plans to make 2018 the year you fulfil all of your new years resolutions, but alas it has been one whole month and you still haven't made a dent in your unreasonably long list of goals that you said would make you happier, healthier, wiser and richer. If you still have your Christmas tree up (don't worry we've all been there!) and your still telling yourself tomorrow is the day you get back in the gym, then maybe today is the day you re-evaluate your goals for the year ahead.
If you told yourself that by 2019 you would have lost half your bodyweight, learnt to fluently speak French, Kon Mari'ed your whole house or even built a Fortune 500 company from the ground up, than I've got news for you! For most people those goals won't be fulfilled in a year (or two). If you have a goal you have to think reasonably about how long it will take for you to accomplish it. We are only human, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so don't forget to cut yourself some slack!
Now lets figure out why your resolutions just won't stick! New years resolutions are what you make of them, everyone has the best intentions when they make them; it's a "new year, new you"; too bad just saying that isn't going to make it true. One of the biggest mistakes people make when setting goals is making grand statements. When I make goals for myself, I try not to cannonball into the water straight away, instead I just dip my toe. Say, your goal is to lose weight, don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself by saying you'll lose 60kg within a year. Unless you're on The Biggest Loser, you probably won't achieve it, and will become discouraged in the process. Instead break down your goal into achievable weekly or monthly targets. For instance, in February make healthy home cooked meals and try to eliminate any takeaway from your diet; you will be surprised at how much of a difference this will make!
Another mistake that will hinder your process in achieving your goals is not being adequately prepared. Whether that is making sure you stock your fridge with healthy and tasty foods, or having all the resources needed to help you learn French; it is crucial that you are organised and do the groundwork to ensure you can succeed. When I set myself a goal, not only is it important to gather the tools necessary before I start, but also create a "to-do" checklist of how I want to achieve my goal. Whilst, this may change as the year progresses, it is so helpful to have a guideline (or timeline) of what to do and when to do it, to ensure that you stay motivated and can see how you have progressed so far.
Lastly, this mistake is one I often make myself; how will you measure your goal's progress? When it comes to weight loss I hate (HATE, HATE, HATE!!!) weighing myself, I swear it is a phobia of mine, but without knowing how much weight I have lost it can make it hard to see how far I have come, even if I have been exercising and eating right. You need to have some way of measuring your goals progress, otherwise it is easy to become unmotivated and lose sight of the bigger picture.
Let me know if you made any New Years Resolutions, and if you may need to rejig them a bit!
Comments