A friend over this past weekend asked everyone at the breakfast table, “Did everyone set their New Year’s Resolutions?” As I was about to answer with a laundry list of goals another friend quickly chimed in, “What is with New Year’s Resolutions? We can set goals at any time.” I went back and forth in my head and came to the conclusion that she was right. We wake up every morning, make our own agendas and are the people we want to be. We can change our attitudes, our goals, or diets at any time. I don’t want to take away the fresh feeling of starting a New Year. It is an exciting time – but ultimately we can be the change we want to see in ourselves at any point, not just January 1st.
So how do we not lose sight of our goals, or New Year’s Resolutions?
I think one of the biggest reasons we feel the need to set New Year’s Resolutions is because we often lose sight of the goals we make. We think of our goals, fall off track once or twice, and then surrender. Stop the cycle people.
“People with clear, written goals accomplish a lot more in a shorter period of time.”
Write out your goals so you can see them. Keep yourself accountable. Track them on an app, or in a notebook. Tell a friend, so when you go to reach for the double cheeseburger they smack your hand and remind you of the Whole30 Challenge you accepted.
Deal with the ups and downs. You will fall off track once, twice or three times. Do not raise the white flag. You are better than this. You need to remember why you set the goal(s) in the first place. You need to be self-disciplined and positive.
Be different this year. Set goals when you feel you need the change, or challenge. Don’t give up. Wait for the progress that will eventually come. The feeling of success will be well worth the hard-work and dedication.
