Happy New Year!
How are your New Year's Resolutions going so far?
So many of us begin the new year with good intentions, heaps of motivation and a steely desire, yet, for various reasons, these resolutions don't survive the whole year. Don't panic though, with these tips hopefully 2019's resolutions will stick.
So what is the 21/90 Rule?
It takes 21 days for something to become a habit and 90 days for it to become a lifestyle.
So don't be too hard on yourself when you are still having to consciously work at your resolution by mid February, it is going to take another few weeks of work until it becomes part of who you are. Your resolutions shouldn't seem like a horrid challenge though, so to make them less daunting or overwhelming and therefore much more achievable, put your resolutions through the 'SMART' test.
What are S.M.A.R.T Goals?
Specific
Make sure your resolutions are specific, generic goals are really hard to maintain and strive for. Rather than "I want to lose weight" or "I want to get fit", specify how much weight you want to lose or what fitness challenge you would like to achieve, give yourself an end point to work towards.
Put them through the who/what/when/where/why/which questions which will help make them as detailed as possible;
who is needed to make this happen? - particularly important for group projects
what exactly is it that you want to achieve? Be as detailed as possible
when do you want to achieve your goal by?
where (may not be completely relevant for personal goals) but if there is a specific location needed to make your goal possible, it is worth making note of that
why are you making this goal? You may revisit the answer to this throughout the year if your motivation waivers!
which barriers or obstacles can you identify? It is useful to acknowledge these so they don't take you by surprise
Measurable
Make your resolution measurable. This allows you to track your progress and stay motivated. If your goal is likely to take a while, break it down into smaller chunks with measurable milestones.
Achievable
What is it you need to achieve your resolution or goal? Do you have the skills required already to achieve it or do you need new training? Do you need to get up an hour earlier each morning to achieve it? Acknowledge these answers and factor them into your plan.
Relevant
Look at the relevance of your resolutions on a larger scale, how does it fit into your other aspects of life or business? (this is more applicable to business goals really, as it is unlikely you would make a personal resolution that was irrelevant but still worth looking at the relevance of it on a larger scale).
Time
A goal without a timescale is really hard to achieve. Create a timeline for your resolutions and goals, every time you reach one of those milestones you will feel a sense of accomplishment and it will keep you motivated to continue.
So there you have it, my tips for helping your resolutions stick.
Good luck and keep going.
Here's to making 2019 an incredible year!