How to stick to New Years Resolutions. New years bring new challenges. We may be totally motivated at the start of January, but more often than not we lose sight of our goals. By February many of our best intentions lie in the scrapheap… Pinnacle Wellbeing Services examines how we can stick to those resolutions.
Happy New Year! Hopefully you have had the time to recharge the batteries over what can be a very busy festive period. The end of year albeit can be a happy time; however it also can mean non-stop running around to get everything done before the calendar turns the page to another year. Before we know it, we are in 2019 and we’re sat back at our desks. We set business and personal goals without having that time to reflect and forward think about what it is that we really want and need to achieve over the coming year(s).
Hopefully you haven’t hit the first few weeks in the new year in a state of mild panic. It is easy to feel the pressure that goals need to be set in the coming days and weeks. But all is not lost. You can turn this around – we are still in January! You can still take time out to reflect and set great goals if you have a plan to work to.
How to stick to New Years Resolutions – some top tips to help you set yourself up for success in 2019.
1) Find out what you want to achieve and commit to it.
Articulate your vision of what you want to achieve.This maybe something life-changing or that you are trying to fully define your role and purpose within your company. Try and understand the reasoning behind why you want to make the change and make the goal. Aim to have a mix of personal and organisational goals. Ensure that there is a balance. It shouldn’t be all tipped towards what the organisational wants to achieve. Don’t forget that what you want matters too!
2) Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.
If the target is too vague (e.g. no milestones or dates) or it is too difficult, then it is likely to lack impetus or simply seem too overwhelming; meaning that we will become adversely fixated upon the ultimate outcome rather than the process which can help us to get there. This will act as a clear demotivator.
3) Establish mini-goals that will help to guide you towards attaining your 2019 goals.
Imagine that you wanted to climb Mount Everest. If you stood at the foot of the mountain, looking up, then the chances are that you would feel completely overwhelmed and rapidly give up. However, breaking the overall task down into smaller parts alleviates some of this anxiety by making the immediate objectives far less daunting and more likely to achieve a positive outcome.
The importance of small ‘wins’
Small “wins” tend to boost self-belief and generate greater positive momentum towards the main objective. In the event of any setbacks, this strategy also helps to contain the extent of our negative reactions; meaning that we are more likely to persevere in the face of adversity. For example, if your New Year’s resolution was to eat more healthily, then you may wish to begin by focusing upon tweaking one specific meal of the day or cutting back on a food type such as crisps or sugar intake.
4) Apply a Growth mind-set attitude to your goals.
Unfortunately, most of us have a fixed notion of how we “should” approach our goals and what the outcomes should be. If we deviant from the plan because of external circumstances, illness or human frailty, we regard this as failure. Try to view any potential setbacks as feedback rather than failure. This allows you to remain flexible in your approach. You can review and adapt the plan considering events as they unfold. For instance, if your resolution is to eat more healthily and you stray off focus, don’t give up on the goal or vow to start again tomorrow, next week or next year. Review the learnings. Simply draw a line under that part of the day and actively apply the new insights as soon as possible. This will ensure positive momentum.
Pinnacle Wellbeing Services are running a number of courses in January to help individuals define their purpose, set their goals and discover how to stick to New Years Resolutions in 2019. To book your place visit https://pinnaclewellbeingservices.com/excellence-workshops or call us on +44(0)207 060 4375
