How To Conquer Your New Year Resolutions
Just 8% of people achieve their New Years Resolutions by the end of the year.
How can you enter this private club?
Here are five things that will help you approach New Year Resolutions from a different angle:
#1 A Year In Review To make sure you have the right priorities for the year ahead, first, you should see how did the previous year go, and reflect back on everything you have experienced, achieved and discovered so that you can create a perfect closure.
Here are the several points you should reflect upon:
General reflection about the year
Significant events
Biggest accomplishment
Challenges you encountered
Learning lessons
People
Most common mental state this year
You on the 1st of January 2021 vs. me right now
Gratitude
#2 Mindset Shift: Who Do You Want To Be in a Year? The first step is to gain clarity on who do you want to be. This way every action you take, will not be something you do, but something you are.
Finish this sentence: "By the end of 2021, I am…."
Now, let’s take care of how will you become that person.
#3 A Theme For The Year Once you have an idea of who do you want to be in a year, you should define a theme for the year. This will serve you as a guiding star.
Once you move on to the next year (theme), the habits you have established in the previous year will become part of who you are, and your task is just to be consistent with them, and add the new theme.
To define your theme, ask yourself the following: "What should be the theme of 2021 that will bring me closer to the person I want to become?"
Give yourself a couple of minutes to reflect, and then write it down. The next step is to specify this further, so have a clear path ahead of you.
#4 Keystone Goal The next step is to develop a strategy that will help you achieve results. You should start off by setting your keystone goal for the year that represents the core of your theme. Then define two-three projects you need to focus on to accomplish this goal.
For example:
Goal: I have lost 10lbs (5kg) by the 5th of May.
Projects:
Test a couple of diets until you find a perfect diet for yourself
Find a physical activity that suits you (gym, yoga, jogging, and so forth.)
Because not all activities bring you the biggest return on the investment, identify what high leverage activities you need to focus on that will give you desired results.
To make this easier, I suggest you ask yourself:
"Which activity in each project would get me closer to my goal?"
Once you define these things, this will become your strategy.
#5 How to Make Sure You Follow Through
Consistency Making small continual improvement every day will be compounded over time, and give them desirable results. Focus on improving by just 1%
Acknowledgement Being acknowledged for your goals is crucial to sustaining your habits and gain motivation
Social Accountability Once you state your goals and projects publicly to your family and friends, in the moments when you want to quit or postpone something, this will keep you going, because you will not want to go back on your word
Support System Let people close to you know that you will need their support. It is like having a spotter in a gym: someone who will make sure you are accountable for your goals
Evaluate and adapt Stop every once in a while to see if you are on the right track. Ideally, you would want to do this once a week
Celebrate successes Celebrate your successes between milestones. Don’t wait for the goal to be finally completed
Be grateful No matter the positive or the negative things you encounter on the way, it will shape you
Happy New Year! ;)