A New Year resolution is a commitment towards a goal, a project or a habit that one makes in anticipation of the New Year as the word “New” holds an opportunity for another beginning and a brand fresh start. Whether it is a commitment related to career, relationships, health, art, or charity….. , the main reasons people fail in achieving their New Year resolutions are mainly because they set unrealistic and unachievable goals, they have a fear of failing, they don’t know where to start or they don’t have a real motif for the goal from the beginning.
Here are some tips to keep your New Year resolutions for 2014 alive and to help you stay on track beyond Valentine’s Day:
– A great way to start is by asking yourself which resolutions, when achieved, will have the greatest impact on my life? This question will simply help you set your priorities and direct your attention to the most important resolutions in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed by having too many goals.
– Stay SMART and set resolutions that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic with a time-line.
– State your resolutions in positive statements. Write them down in order to crystallize them and gives them a higher meaning.
– Make your resolutions visible around your home and your office; let these statements be the first thing you read in the morning and the last thing you see before you sleep.
– Visualize your resolutions with all your senses as if they are already accomplished. Imagine yourself living the outcome of your resolutions with positive energy. This will promote your creativity and give you momentum.
– “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”! Proper planning is an essential component in achieving any goal. Define the resources available to you (information, support, choices…) and explore all possible alternatives that will help you succeed in achieving your resolutions.
– Break down your goal into manageable chunks which are easily evaluated and assessed over small period of time. Don’t wait till the end of the year to evaluate your progress in terms of what worked well, what didn’t work and what could have been done differently. Do it periodically and keep a journal of your advancement. This will empower you and will give you regular opportunities to amend depending on the challenges and road blocks you might face.
– Make a choice to give up using excuses of any kind and putting off getting your commitments done. Excuses such as: I am too busy, I don’t have enough information, I need help, I don’t feel good…. Train yourself to enjoy the process of achieving your resolutions, remember that you are the only master of your destiny and only YOU can take things in charge, no one else. Excuses don’t bring you closer to your goal however a sense of accomplishment brings you success, freedom and increased confidence.
– Adopt an empowered thinking that will support you to stay motivated and optimistic. Don’t give up, giving up is one of the main reasons of any resolution to fail. See road blocks and challenges as giant steps that will make you closer to live your resolutions and aspirations. Believe that every new day holds the opportunity to grow, to learn and to achieve.
– Create a real support system including friends, family, colleagues that you can trust and to whom you may seek guidance, advice or a positive encouragement in times of distress. Make a list of these people and let them be aware of your resolutions. They can be always a great source of motivation for you.
– Enjoy the process and have fun and don’t forget to celebrate every milestone, every successful action or habit that showered your life in a positive way. Simple celebrations like a self-encouragement, a pat on the shoulder will also do.
Any resolution incorporates a change. Any change you would like to see happening in your life is a commitment for you to grow and evolve. Change is a process that takes time, patience and perseverance. With some planning, positive thinking and motivation, the encouraging impact of your new resolutions will not only affect your New Year but the rest of your life as well. Believing in yourself and in your capabilities is the key. As Henry Ford states “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”
Cheers to a great YOU, the sole creator of your life, wishing you to express your brilliance to the world, to Emerge and shine in 2014!!
Linda Chaccour – ACC – Founder and Managing Director @ Emerge – Life and Youth Coaching – Certified Youth, Parent and Family Coach
M: +971506964262
No Comments