As we welcome the New Year, it’s natural to reflect upon the past year. We remember the highs and lows, and undoubtedly we make a list of our New Year resolutions. We set our sights on our “Great Transformation”.  Yet, approximately 80% of those who set resolutions for the New Year, throw in the towel by February. 

There is an enormous list of obstacles and excuses that contribute to that statistic. However, two things are certain, your mindset and your plan will determine your success. This isn’t something  you can pick up at the vitamin shop or the grocery store for a quick fix. It’s something you MUST determine for yourself.

Even with your mind determined and your plans set, goals can be difficult to achieve. Use these three tips to help you get started and keep you going when the going gets tough!

1.) Determine Your Why : What is your number one reason for making the change? Dig deep to discover what really makes it worth the effort. When you are tempted to quit remember how valuable your reason for change is!

2.) Make it Manageable:  Manageable goals are an absolute necessity in order to see success. This is part of the planning process. Any amount of motivation can wane in the face of an overwhelming goal. Break it down into bite size portions and set out to accomplish one bite size goal a week.

3.) When bite size becomes a heaping plate: Let’s be honest “manageable goals” never really feel manageable when they are tacked onto everything else we are already doing.

To share a personal story, when I had the idea to write this post about “bite size” goals, I immediately felt anxiety welling up within me. After some deep thinking and prayer, I realized, I have a million “bite sizes” on my plate and well, frankly that adds up to a heaping plate full. There is NO WAY I can handle all of that! It’s a bite of doing my best at work, a bite of being a loving wife, a bite of being confident in who I am and where I’m at in life, a bite of being a good daughter, sister, friend and mother. Finally, if I can manage, I’ll try to squeeze in a bite size of taking care of mental and physical health!

Then it came to me…

The truth is they are all connected. Whatever hat you need to wear right now, do it with excellence. Doing so will impact everything else you do. In other words, rather than being overwhelmed and filled with anxiety over the copious amount of goals on the plate, look at each as an opportunity to better the next and ultimately the whole. By loving your family well, you set yourself up with a free mind and spirit to then love yourself well. When we take care of ourselves, we set ourselves up to take better care of others. When we care for our bodies we will perform better at work and in life in general. Nothing good you do is ever wasted.

 

 

Stay tuned for more tips for New Year Resolution Success!