We all make new year’s resolutions and most of the time, we fail. If you want to set a resolution for this year, set it now! It is never too early to start working towards your goals. I’ve always been big on working with my current clients to start setting goals before Thanksgiving. It gives you the sense of “I’m ahead of the game”. You might be thinking, “it’s not even December yet”! But if you wait until the end of December, then everyone else will have already made theirs and you’ll feel rushed into making yours. The truth about new year’s resolutions is that they are just another way to beat ourselves up when we don’t succeed at them. Why not get ahead of the game?
I challenge you to start working on your resolutions and think about or make them now!
The first step in making a new year’s resolution is to figure out what it will be. Some examples are to lose weight, get better grades, stop smoking, etc. There are probably hundreds of other examples but whatever your resolution is, it has to be measurable! For example, you cannot say that your resolution is to be happy because there’s no way of measuring true happiness. It can’t just be a goal in your head, it has to have a tangible outcome so you’ll know when you’ve achieved your resolution.
Secondly, your resolution must be positive. You should never say that your resolution is to quit a bad habit or stop a behavior. A resolution like this implies that you want to do it more! It should always be something like “I choose not to…” instead of “I don’t want/can’t”. For example, saying “I don’t want to drink sugary drinks” or “I want to stop drinking alcohol” implies that you want to drink them and you’re going to eliminate them for a short period of time. Instead, say “I want to consciously drink healthier options”. This suggests that you’ll drink an alternative, like water with lemon. In turn, it leads you to make healthier choices to the lifestyle you wish to live.
The final step is to set a date for your resolution! If your resolution revolves around saving money or getting better grades, then set a date around the time when school/work starts again. This will give you more than enough time to prepare for your resolution in advance. This is something I do with almost everyone of my clients. When they say “I want to lose weight!”, my response is “Great! Let’s set up a realistic date with a realistic measurable outcome so we can build a program to get us there”. New Year’s Resolutions should be measurable and realistic.
I hope this article has helped you in some way to achieve your resolutions and get them started NOW!
If you would like to work on setting some goals contact me through our Q/A or email me at [email protected].
– Coach Kyle Glickman
