More often than not, most people’s New Year’s resolutions do not come to fruition. They either lack the necessary means or simply do not put in the required time and dedication to reach their goals. Perhaps they don’t have the motivation to follow through or they overshoot their objectives and lose focus of what they are really trying to accomplish. Thus, it is important to take each step in stride—one goal at a time.
With any task in life, whether it be professional or personal, it’s better to choose a sole resolution to focus on at a given time; one is better than several, in this case. Statistics have shown that those who engage in multiple resolutions often fall short of obtaining any of their initial objectives. It can be difficult for people to keep track of a multiple changes in one year. It’s also challenging to create new habits when they must break from their comfort zone or daily routine.
When beginning the road to success, here are 4 ideas for you to keep in mind:
Be sure to create a schedule. Creating an initial objective via research or from thin air is fine, but people often engage better when they have something to look at and keep them on track. For example, if you are planning to lose weight or eat healthy, it would be best to keep a calendar that has an exercise routine or meal plan for every day of the week. Visuals are key at this point. Staying on a consistent path will encourage repetition and promote persistence.
Let others hear your voice. People usually keep their goals to themselves in fear of not being able to fulfill them. Telling others, such as family and friends, will actually help make the process more real, and they will often provide encouraging thoughts to help along the way. Besides, if other people are aware, they will be expecting to see results, so you will be held accountable.
Make it fun. Everyone knows how easy it is to succumb to life’s little moments of procrastination. Eventually, those moments may turn into failure. Create something positive and add some extra pizazz. For example, if you want to improve your stress management in the workplace or increase your work performance, you need to eliminate the negative factors that hinder your work ethic. Start by taking your eyes off of your success. For 10 minutes everyday, watch a funny video on YouTube, listen to your favorite music, and by all means, read those silly e-cards that you never have time to read.
Finally, expand your definition of success. Most individuals fall behind on the road to success because they perceive this process as the ultimate sacrifice. The change does not need to be drastic in order to produce results. Every bit of progress is a step in a new, better direction; learning to stay on that path is the most significant sacrifice of all.
