Yay for a new year … a new beginning … a new opportunity! What a year it has been!!!
The good, the bad, the ugly … we see it all every year. However, so many of us hardly ever see our full potential because when it comes to attaining New Year’s resolutions … only 8% of people do! We make resolutions with the intent to eat better, lose weight, etc. yet hardly ever do we follow through. So this year, with these few tips, you may be able to beat the odds and not fall victim to unimpressive 92%.
Let’s face it … No one wants to be a loser. No one wakes up excited to be one of those people who says they’re going to do something and then doesn’t. This year, make it your mission to TRULY attain your New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s how you can:
Be specific with your goals.
Don’t just say, “I want to lose weight” … Define it. Whether it be, “I want to be a size 6” or “I want to lose 15 pounds,” ... whatever your goal is, make it specific. This will keep you from justifying ... “Ehh, that’s good enough. I lost a pound in 12 months.” … If you want to travel more … be specific. Where do you want to go? When will you go? Are you going alone? Be specific.
Make a plan.
If your goal is to lose 15 pounds, what is your method to achieve it? It helps to be specific with the process, too. For example, if you want to lose 15 pounds, you need to develop how, so maybe you also set the goal to walk 30 minutes, five days a week or to eat at least three vegetables per day instead of bread or donuts … If you want to travel to Las Vegas, how do you plan to get there? How will you budget your expenses? … Get what I’m saying? Outline your goals with a specific plan.
Set resolutions that are attainable.
Dream big, of course, but be aware that some goals are physically unattainable. ... “This year, I’m going to become a unicorn.” … I mean, you can totally try that if you want, but you MAY be discouraged when you realize it’s pretty difficult to grow a horn, turn pink and pee glitter. Maybe instead, you become a unicorn for Halloween … or better yet, you set a goal of learning to ride a horse, or you set a goal to feed or adopt a horse. Bucket list items are the best ways to dream and really engage in your surroundings. Just make sure they are something that can someday, somehow be attained … this is just so you don’t get discouraged and forget the meaning behind New Year’s Resolutions. Please note: Saying you want to have a million dollars by year-end when you make only $10 an hour is not unrealistic. ANYTHING can happen when it comes to money, so if bigger cash flow is somewhere on your list of resolutions, keep it there.
Keep your well-being in mind.
A resolution should be something that defines you in a bigger way … that helps you become a better human being who enjoys his or her life. So, when you go to make this list, whether you call it goals, resolutions or bucket list items, make sure you write down things you enjoy or that better who you are. For example, last year and continuing in 2016, I cut out alcohol and vowed to maintain my body weight. I don’t like to drink, don’t need it and it really doesn’t do anything positive for me. I enjoy a glass of wine or champagne on special occasions, but giving up alcohol has been one of the greatest things for my mentality, my health, my skin and my body. Maintaining my body weight has forced me to exercise more and eat healthier which has been a HUGE positive in my life. I really like the way I feel and that alone motivates me to keep up the good work. Try to eliminate or add things to your life that will help you better it.
Publish your goals.
You don’t have to necessarily post your goals on Facebook, unless of course, that helps you maintain consistency with attaining the goals, but instead, publish it on your refrigerator. Post it on your wall or cork board at work. Make it your screen saver on your computer. Create a vision board with all of the to-dos for the year so you can see it every single day. This helps you attract all the positive thoughts surrounding your ambitions and not only reminds you of what you want to do but helps motivate you towards achieving it, too. I have my vision board directly above my dresser mirror that’s directly in front of my bed. I go to sleep at night looking at it and when I wake up, it’s the first thing I see. This has been a huge help for staying on track, not only for New Year’s resolutions but also, for life goals.
Remember why you started.
New Year’s Resolutions are our way of becoming better peeps. It’s our way of telling people of the world, ourselves and the forces of the Universe who we are, how much we love ourselves and how committed we are to becoming a cooler, better, nicer, more enjoyable person. If you love yourself a lot, and you are committed to your own happiness, you should be able to commit to your resolutions, no problem. Sometimes life gets in the way, yes … but you should never let life get in the way of loving yourself and loving your surroundings. If it does get in the way too often, maybe you should make loving yourself an item on your list … and to love yourself, you need to allow more time, maybe an hour per day, where you do something FOR YOU. Paint your toenails, read a book, shop, work on your hobby, go to church—whatever it is you enjoy. When you do this, your resolutions are more easily attained and make for a happier journey, and ultimately, a happier, better YOU!
To keep it interesting, I’m creating a contest: Once you’ve set your list and developed a plan, post it on Facebook, tag me in it and I will share it on my Facebook page. OR, if you want to keep it private, email it to me at whitchaffin@gmail.com and I’ll keep a running list of those who participate. Anyone who PROVES they attain each and every goal on their list (with photos, videos, progress, etc.), will be put into a drawing and will win a FREE gift from the whitneychaffin.com store (which is coming in 2016) on New Year’s Eve 2016!!! You’ve got one year to achieve your goals … Ready? Set … GO!
