3 Ways to Get Started on Your New Year Resolutions
And stick with them through the year
New Year Resolutions are cliche and advantageous for people to capitalize on our desire for change. However, as we wade through the self-judgment and snake oil salespeople, the new year is a great way to start new habits and lifestyle changes. Here at The Monday Morning Coach, I prepared a series of short articles to help us evaluate how to change, what is required, and how to maintain change. Here are three reminders to help us kickstart those lifestyle changes:
1. Go for a lifestyle change, not a quick fix
Most people fail before they even begin a resolution because they don't realize what's required to change is not just a habit or a 3-step process to fix what they don't like about themselves. When we just say, “This year I want to lose some weight” or “I want serve more this year” we give ourselves leeway to make excuses for what we do instead of holding ourselves accountable to who we are.
Be honest with yourself before you begin your resolution and create a plan to make a lifestyle change.
When we readjust our perspective to understand our need/desire to change our lives, it changes how we wake up in the morning, how we respond to obstacles, who and what we surround ourselves with, and how we react to personal failure.
2. You're Going to Fail
Speaking of failure—it's going to happen. People who are successful at making lifestyle changes don’t let one failure—or even a series of mistakes—stop them from becoming who they desire to be. Accept the fact that you’re going to miss a day of workouts, reading, or service, or you’re going to eat a cheat meal. "Nobody's perfect." We all say, repeat, and amen it. Yet we don't treat ourselves as if this fact is actual. Make room to give yourself grace when you mess up and remember that you are not an analogous habit. You are a person making a lifestyle change.
3. Start!
Waking up every morning and deciding who you want to be is the most straightforward yet complicated step. Don't think about your end goal. Live in the moment. Some of the most outstanding athletes and professionals' most remarkable traits are their ability to plunge into each moment and maximize every opportunity they have. There will always be something we can make more important than sticking with our plans. But if you develop some "grit" and focus on the person you want to become when facing the temptation to stray away, you will be the change you desire before you know it.