We are officially in the last full week of January, already I know. This is about the time when New Years Resolutions begin to slowly, but surely, fall by the wayside. Well for me anyway, maybe you've got a lot more will power than me and if so, congratulations. However, most humans don't and the goals begin to come a bit daunting and before long we've given up completely.
This year, very uncharacteristically, I've managed to keep up with my resolutions. I've found a few ways that just make them a little bit easier to stick to so I thought I'd share them with any of you lovely readers who are a bit like me and just give up a little too soon.
Focus on one resolution
We all make heaps of resolutions, every year, four of five get listed off - things I want to to achieve in the year. But, truth be too told it's too much and that's what gets overwhelming. Choose one resolution, out of your mammoth list, and focus on that. For me finding a regular exercise routine was the resolution I wanted to focus on, it's the one I always fail on without, well, fail. So this year I've put all my efforts into it and so far so good. I haven't missed a class yet and am actually really enjoying it. *who are you and what have you done with the real Emily?*
Don't be too extreme
We tend to go to the extreme with resolutions. You've never run before but you set the resolution to start running and when you're not practically Mo Farah within two weeks you give up - don't worry I've been there. Set small goals that will lead you too your big goal. Let's stick with the running example, aim to begin with two fifteen minute jogs a week and once that feels easier up it to three or to two thirty minute jogs. Slow and steady wins the race. It might feel like you're getting no where but constantly making small progress and looking back at the end of the year having made changes will feel better than giving up.
Make it part of your day-to-day life
Making it part of your lifestyle and less like a chore will make it so much easier to get on with. Schedule time for to work towards your goal into your daily routine and make the time, if something else (obviously nothing important like a presentation with your MD or something) comes up schedule it for later. One of my resolutions is to get back in the kitchen more so one evening a week I make sure I don't have anything else on and don't plan anything so I can get in the kitchen and cook something yummy from scratch. Just doing that means I actually get in the kitchen and do it and don't get home and get distracted because I've got something else going on all of a sudden.
Write your goal somewhere you'll see it everyday
Having your New Years Resolutions in your head is fine but you forget about them and don't hold yourself accountable. If it was something important for work you'd have it written down somewhere so you never forgot it and you'd kick yourself if you did. So the same thing applies here. Whatever your main goal is write it down somewhere where you'll see it everyday and remind yourself to a) do it but also b) hold yourself accountable. Put a note on the bathroom mirror, the fridge, wherever you go every morning so you'll see it and word it with confidence and authority.
Don't do it alone
This has been the most important thing when it comes to my main goal. Find a friend who's got a similar goal as yours and hold each other to it. I don't want to let my friend down so make sure I go to the classes I've booked onto with her and we motivate each other to kill it once we're there, even when we're sweating our tits off in a circuits class and are just about ready to vomit. Seriously, buddy up it's good advice. Obviously not everything is as easy to find a friend to do it with but there's places online, Twitter, Instagram where people are likely to have the same goals as you. Just find somewhere, someone that gives you a kick up the bum when you need it.
