Five Steps to Keeping Your New Year's (or Any-Day) Resolutions

How do you feel when you think setting your New Year's Resolutions? If you're like most people, you dread it, because you know you're not likely to keep them. You also know you're going to beat yourself up over it when you fail to keep them. Is that any incentive to set goals and work towards reaching them? No way! But we still set ourselves up for failure, year after year, and we get the same results, year after year.

Now, how would it feel to set an attainable goal, envision your success, have a plan for reaching it, and actually be successful? Wouldn't that be more motivating when it comes time to make another change in your life? Anyone can do it, and here's how:

1.  Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal. Let's use the example of wanting to lose weight. To be reachable, your goal has to be very Specific, and you need a plan for reaching it. A vague statement like, "I'm going to lose weight" almost guarantees failure. Instead, make your goal, "I'm going to lose 12 pounds in two months. I'm going to do it by exercising for 30 minutes first thing in the morning three times a week, and by not eating after 8:00 at night. I'm going to keep track of the days I exercise and don't snack late, and I'm going to weigh myself before I start, then once a week to measure my progress.  My reward for success will be to go shopping with a friend and spend $300 on new clothes."

Your goal must be Measurable so you know you're making progress, such as by an exercise chart and a bathroom scale. It should also be Attainable, meaning that you have the resources and are able to take the steps the goal requires. Are you physically able to exercise? Should you see a doctor first? Do you need to buy a jump-rope or a fun exercise video to get you started? Next, your goal must be Realistic, or you're just headed towards failure and those bad feelings that tag along with it. Is losing 12 pounds in two months reasonable for you? Is exercising three times a week expecting too much? Is snacking after 8:00 a habit you feel you can break successfully with some effort? If not, adjust your goal. And lastly, any goal should be Timely, meaning it has a deadline. If there's no deadline, it's easy to slack off and eventually just give up. This is one of the ways many resolutions die a slow, unnoticed death.

2.  Envision it.  Imagine you've reached your goal. What does it look like? How does it feel? Allow yourself to envision success, and revel in it. Picture yourself looking in the mirror and liking the changes you see. Maybe you're wearing a great new outfit that you bought with your reward money. Wouldn't it feel great to be proud of yourself, and to get comments like, "You look great, have you lost weight?". Imagine yourself exercising, loving the feeling of moving your body and doing something great for yourself. Capture these images and these feelings in your mind, so when things get tough, you can revisit them. Sometimes we feel we're not allowed to picture ourselves as successful, but there is nothing wrong with it! In fact, it's an extremely effective way of motivating yourself.

3.  Establish a support system. Enlist the help of a family member or good friend to praise and encourage you, to share your successes with you, and to console you if you back-slide on your progress. Talk to this person at regular intervals, such as once a week, and any time you need support or want to share a success. Give your friend permission to hold you accountable and check that you're staying on track.

4.  Track your progress. Keep track of every small success, and enjoy them all! If you exercised three times in one week and managed to snack only one night, that's great progress! And losing one pound by itself may not seem like a lot, but if you celebrate it and allow yourself to feel great about it, you're much more likely to stay on track and keep losing more!

5.  Reward yourself! Any goal should include a reward for success. Yes, it feels really good to have reached the goal, but don't you deserve something more? A reward gives us a celebration of success, and can motivate us to try harder when we're struggling. Choose something meaningful to you, something you wouldn't ordinarily do or get. How about a concert you want to see, money towards something special, a day to yourself with no kids or hubby, a spa treatment or massage? Put some thought into this and make it something you really want. Use your desire for inspiration!

You CAN do anything you put your mind to. You just need a clear goal, a plan for reaching it, and someone to support you along the way. Now, take a few minutes to think about what you'd like to change in your life, follow my advice, and feel GREAT about yourself and your accomplishments!

Copyright 2008 by Cara Kinning, ORGANIZED FOR LIFE

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Organized for Life      www.organizedforlifeonline.com     (804) 330-0997