“Whether you think you can or can’t either way you are right.” ~ Henry Ford
How’s your new year going so far? How about those New Year’s Resolutions…still working at them?
It seems that this is about the time you are either gaining steam or fizzling out. So which is true for you? Are you feeling your new groove with the changes you’ve committed to for this year? Or have you fallen back into the old groove?
This month’s blog post is all about how to keep the goals you set for the year moving along.
Three Tricks to Help You Keep Your Resolutions Strong All Year Long
“Blue Monday” hit this year on January 21st so it’s time to check in to see how you’re doing? What? You don’t know what Blue Monday is? It’s the third Monday in January, when the reality sets in that you’ve already fallen “off the wagon” of whatever it was you’d set as your New Year’s Resolution and you’re in a funk because you feel your life slipping right back where it was.
But don’t let those blues settle in for good. Let this year be different. You may be familiar with the strategies below, for that matter, you may already be implementing them. But there are tricks to each that I think will help you achieve success in a much greater way. This year, resolve to have a few tricks up your sleeve that will keep your resolutions strong all year long.
#1 – Enlist the help of others: The old saying, “Misery loves company.” is true. But don’t let that be the driving force behind teaming up with others. Rather, look at the positive side and think of it as recruiting your own supporting cast to help you see your resolutions through.
Research proves that humans tend to do difficult things much better if they are working with others rather than on their own. So definitely seek out support but be careful who you team up with.
Here’s the Trick:
If you team up with your BFF, whom you probably have a lot in common with, chances are, you’ll both fail. The reason being is that you may have too much in common. Like, for instance – the same bad habits, the same personality characteristics and the same behavioral patterns. So it is best to choose people to support your transformation who are on different “wavelengths” then you. Most ideally, those who have different behavioral patterns. For example, if you’re a person who starts quick but rarely finishes, then pick a partner who is good at follow through. The two of you together will support each other’s styles respectively and be more likely to hold each other accountable and in turn, have more success.
#2 – Create to-do lists that really work: There’s nothing better than checking something off your to-do list. Especially if it’s been on there for a while. Is your resolution the same one you’ve had for years? Or are there things on your to-do list that you’ve been putting off?
Look over your list and decide today – will you do it, delegate it, or dump it? Whatever it takes to be able to check it off the list. And be honest with yourself, if it’s been on there forever, then ask yourself why you haven’t done it yet. If it’s because you don’t want to do it but it has to be done, then figure out if you can delegate it. If it’s really not that important, then dump it. (These things are usually on your list because of a “should” and you know how I feel about shoulds!) Or if it must be done and it must be done by you, then for crying out loud…just do it!
Here’s the Trick:
A long list will set you up for overwhelm and failure to complete. So break your list down into smaller, more manageable groups. In addition, if you create smaller steps for each goal on your list, this will not only give you courage to accomplish the things you have some fear around doing but it will also give you momentum because as I said, it feels good to check something off and once you start checking things off, it’ll energize you to do more.
#3 – Don’t Quit: Seems pretty simple doesn’t it? Yet think about all the other resolutions you’ve set in year past that never came to pass. Why? Bottom line is, you quit. Sure, you could say it was because of this “reason” or that “reason.” But the reality is that our reasons are just excuses in disguise.
Here’s the Trick:
It’s time to figure out where you always stop. Think about the last five big goals you had and what came up that caused you to stop. Was it because it got hard? Was it because someone needed you more then you thought you needed yourself? Was it because you couldn’t overcome your fear? What is the theme? Figure that out and you’ll be on your way to saying, “Hell No!” The next time it shows up to stop you from reaching your goals.
I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, but I’ll save those for a later date. For now, work on these and resolve that this year WILL be different. If you are ready to transform your life but you can’t seem to figure out what keeps tripping you up. I am here to help you figure it out, overcome it and give you the support you need along the way, to make this your best year ever!
Leave your comments below and share what your big resolutions are this year.