We might already be done with the first month of this year, but it’s not too late to make 2018 #goals. How you ask? It’s actually quite simple if you’re willing to give a little extra effort and dedication. Resolutions don’t seem to work for most people, so it’s pretty common to hear about someone still working on their goal years later. Sometimes people blame themselves for not following their resolution, but maybe they just don’t have the right one. So, how do you know what the right resolutions are to make this year #2018GOALS? Start with following these 5 steps on creating the most attainable resolutions and then get ready to start ticking them off your list!
1. Make a list of all the areas of life you want to improve this year.
The areas could range from personal aspects of relationships and health to professional areas like your career. Most likely, you will come up with a list of all the areas of self-improvement. While you wish to cover all the areas, choose at most 5 to keep your resolutions more realistic and simple to achieve.
2. Ask questions.
Next, for each of the areas, come up with at least 5 questions to ask that will help you make your own resolutions. For example, you could ask yourself, “what do I really want in this area?”, “Why is it important to me?”, “How will I get it?”, “What is preventing it?” and “How will I know it worked?” These questions are meant to make your goals seem clearer so the answers don’t have to be long or complicated.
3. Analyze your answers.
After coming up with answers to all your questions, analyze your answers for each area and try to spot some similarities. If you see a lot of common patterns, then maybe it is time to fix that area before moving to the next. For example, if you want to get fit and start working out, but your laziness is preventing you from getting out of bed, then maybe you don’t really care enough about getting fit. One way to fight laziness is to be so passionate about something that no obstacle could stop you (even your bed!). Find areas that you need to work on but most importantly, find your passion to change those areas. Most people often don’t feel dedicated enough to follow their resolutions, but with passion comes dedication.
4. Make SMART goals.
SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals. Adjust your resolutions so that they follow each of the characteristics. For example, I have this bad habit of skipping breakfast, which I want to fix this year. Instead of making my resolution “I want to start having breakfast this year”, I would adjust it to “I want to have breakfast at least 3 times a week for the following year”. Although both resolutions require you to get out of bed in the morning and get breakfast, the first resolution sounds more realistic and attainable while the second seems vague and hard to follow.
5. Get to work!
Now that you’ve come up with your new resolutions, it’s time to prioritize and start working on them! It will take some effort to actually start but once you find the right motivation and get going, everything will fall into place!
Resolutions are not easy to keep but they definitely seem worth it at the end when you accomplish them. Good luck and start turning those expectations into reality, because who knows, this year could ACTUALLY be your year!
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