As we leave the first month of 2019 behind, it is time to check that new year’s resolutions list and see how much progress we have made. While some of us have already crossed the first couple of things in our list, probably the majority of us still have the whole year ahead of us. Now, whether your resolutions are about a healthy lifestyle, academic or professional success, meeting new people, or buying that one thing you have been saving for, sometimes it can feel like you are in a continuous marathon to achieve your goals. Most of us either become too impatient and give up along the way or decide to take a “small break” after reaching a certain target. However, if we view our resolutions as lifestyle changes, it will be easier to achieve and maintain them in the long run.
1. Be Organized
Writing down your goals is the best way to organize your thoughts and have a clear view about what you want to accomplish. It also a way of bringing your dreams into reality. So, if you haven’t already done so, go ahead and invest in a journal and start writing down your dreams about conquering the world.
2. Planning is Key
Regardless of your goals, you need a plan to be successful. And a successful plan needs well-thought strategies and a routine. Planning not only allows you to set small goals at a time but also helps you to better evaluate your progress. Setting small goals will help you stay motivated and will make it easier to accomplish your overall goal in the long run. It will also help you stay on track at times when it might be challenging to continue with a certain routine.
3. Make Time
This can seem like an obvious point, but once you set a goal and you plan it out, you actually have to incorporate it into your daily routine. Whether it is exercising, cooking, reading a book, or making a new hobby, do not leave out the activity you want to do from your routine, even if you have a very busy week ahead. If you don’t try to make time in your regular schedule, there is always going to be something more important or more urgent.
4. Share It With Friends
Whether it is a new yoga class that you just joined or a new hobby you decided to pursue, sharing new experiences with friends and family is a great way to stay motivated. Also, verbalizing your goals helps you gain clarity about your future plans. Friends and family are a great support resource and help you keep on track at rough times. Furthermore, going one step ahead and making friends with
5. Visualize
Have you always dreamt of playing a certain instrument? Or maybe you want to buy that one special item that you have been saving for? In short, visualizing your dreams and goals helps you to achieve them. There are so many books about the law of attraction and the power of creative imagination. Actively using your imagination helps you to focus on your goals and strengthens your internal motivation. Actively imagining yourself as you have already mastered a skill you want to learn acts as a mental rehearsal and helps you learn new skills faster.
6. Reflect
Self-reflection is a very crucial and beneficial step in the process of working towards your goals, even though we tend to underestimate it. It is also a very healthy way of dealing with setbacks. Taking small breaks to evaluate your steps can save you from being stuck in an ineffective routine. Say you have been working very hard for the past month for a midterm, but your results were not as desirable as you expected. Before you get upset and give up, you might want to think back and analyze the steps that you have been taking. That way you can identify your strengths and weakness and develop a better plan for the next time.
7. Focus on The Process
Sometimes reaching a certain goal might need more time than we initially expected. However, it is important to approach our goals holistically rather than just as a mere result. Giving up your goals just because you cannot see the results at that moment? Well, we all have been there at some point in our lives but that is exactly why we should learn to focus on the process. By shifting your attention on the process, you will start appreciating the new skills, new experiences and new people the journey has brought you. And remember, even if you are not there yet, you are still closer to your goal than you were in the beginning.
8. Make It a Lifestyle
All these tips almost intuitively lead to making permanent lifestyle changes. This sometimes can be a slow and challenging process, however, taking small steps at a time and making changes that last is way better than quitting and starting again. If you treat each resolution as a mere target, you will find it hard to stay motivated once you have reached your goal. Therefore, it is really crucial to think about resolutions as part of a complex purpose.
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