NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS - HOW TO MAKE YOURS SUCCESSFUL IN 2019
As each year comes to a close and the new year looms on the horizon, many people begin to make New Year's resolutions. For me, this is actually one of my favorite holidays and honestly, one of my favorite things to do is set goals for the new year. Many people say that resolutions are impossible and that they are dead before a few weeks are up. Let me just say that I disagree with this statement and this is why I disagree. If you have no intention of actually following through on your goals, or you set goals with unrealistic expectations, you will most likely fail. The truth is your goals can be met with enthusiasm and crushed this year and I know this from my own personal experience.
Why I believe resolutions fail
Unreasonable goals are set
You are not fully committed to making it happen
You do not have a good game plan that works for you
This year before you set a goal for the new year
Make certain that you are 100% committed
Develop your goal with reasonable expectations
Make sure you develop the right daily behaviors to set you up for success
Recognize that whatever your goal might be, that it will require work and persistence. You are only going to be successful at anything in life when you really put your mind to it. If you go into a New Years resolution expecting to fail, you will absolutely fail!
This year I want to challenge you with just a few great suggestions for some resolutions that can actually work. Whatever your goal might be I want to challenge you to embrace the beginning of this upcoming year with excitement you have not had before. This can be your year to really make a difference and really challenge yourself in ways you never thought possible.
Do you want to lose weight or save money this year?
Here are my tips for success
Lose weight
Make sure to begin by setting a realistic goal of 1-2 lbs a week. I have done this myself so I know that it is is absolutely possible to achieve this goal. There are many simple ways to do this and this is healthier than any other crazy diet plan. You are far more likely to keep the weight off this way when you develop small consistent behaviors resulting in gradual weight loss. I was able to successfully lose over 50 lbs this way after committing to this back in 2016. My choices from the beginning of the year stayed the same at first progressing with more enthusiasm as the year went on. The thing that made me stick to it was my determination, starting small and simple with my meal plans and incorporating exercise into my daily life from January 1st going forward. It can be done and this can be your year!!!
Save money
If your goal is to save money and you have never been successful at this before, let me encourage you......it absolutely can be done! Starting The first week of January I want to challenge you to try the 52-week money challenge for yourself. This plan or a similar savings plan is the best way I have found to consistently save money every year. Using this savings plan for the first time in 2014 I was finally able to have a savings account that consistently had savings for the first time in my life. Set this as a goal and keep this money in a separate account from any other money if you must. It is so much fun to watch it grow and once you see it actually begin to build up you will be amazed at how easy it actually is to save. The most important aspect of this savings plan is the dedication you go into it with and the small weekly habits that become a behavior.
These are just a few things that have been past resolutions of mine that I have successfully mastered.
Things to remember as you head into this new year
Absolutely set a goal and do not listen to the negativity.....You can do it!
Whatever your goal is make it simple and attainable
Make a plan for success and determine how you will react if you experience failure. For example one bad day of eating does not have to be the end of your diet and one week or month of being unable to save money doesn't have to be the end of your savings plan. You only fail when you give up. Every step forward is a step in the right direction and every dime saved is a dime you had not had saved before. Because of the choices I made in 2014 with the 52-week money challenge, I have never lived paycheck to paycheck again. Today I still have a savings account and it keeps growing due to the small consistent behaviors no matter how small.
Let this year be the year that you discover what you are really capable of accomplishing, you can begin today even to make those goals a reality.
Remember attitude, determination and small consistent behaviors are the key ingredients to making this year's goals a success.
Do you have any New Years' goals this year? I would love to hear about them in the comments below. Let's encourage each other to achieve our goals as the new year begins.
