Every year, we make lofty lists of goals and resolutions with good intentions that generally fizzle out within the first month or so of the New Year. Health clubs are packed every January with well-intentioned enthusiasts hoping to shed the extras lbs that come hand in hand with holiday celebrating. But by February, Stairmasters and Cybex machines everywhere are abruptly abandoned once again. The problem is that many of us make completely unrealistic goals that focus solely on the outcome rather than the process itself.
If you want to make New Year's resolutions that you will keep and not break, follow some simple guidelines for achieving goals.
1. Keep it simple. Save the long list for the grocery store and keep your New Year's list short, realistic and attainable. Focus on the few things that will give you the greatest satisfaction in achieving.
2. Be realistic. Establish goals that are attainable. If your goal is to lose weight, establish how much weight you want to lose and a realistic timeline for doing so.
3. Develop a plan for attaining your goals. How will you achieve your goals? Using weight loss as an example, establish the actions necessary to achieve the goal such as eating less or eliminating fatty foods, eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly and drinking more water.
4. Develop a timeline and milestones for progress. Make a list of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly milestones to chart and track your progress.
5. Write your goal list. It is a proven fact that people with written goals are more likely to achieve them than those who don't have written goals. Make several copies of your goals and post them around your house. Share your goals with people you know and trust to keep you honest in your endeavor.
6. Review your goals daily. Track progress daily. Keep a log of your progress. Checking off a goal obtained is a great feeling.
7. Celebrate achievements. Give yourself a pat on the back for reaching established goals, but be careful. Don't celebrate losing ten pounds with a trip to Dunkin Donuts. Instead, consider buying a new pair of jeans in a smaller size and donate your larger pair to Goodwill. The investment will be a good incentive to stay at your skinny jean weight.
8. Stay focused and positive. Some goals take longer to achieve than others. You may not reach your goal overnight; stay focused and remain positive. Patience and persistence achieves the goal.
9. Keep your goals sustainable. Too often burn out occurs and we stop short of reaching goals because we cannot sustain the required actions over an extended period of time. It may be easier to lose 10 lbs in the short term than keeping the weight off for good, if we don't commit to sustainable, long-term actions.
10. Use positive self -talk. Encourage yourself by making positive statements about your goals such as, " I am successful at achieving established goals." " I am a determined, goal-oriented person." " I am tenacious and determined to make positive changes in my life." " I enjoy the satisfaction of making and achieving set goals."
Remember, life is a journey, not a destination. Feel good about any endeavor that is designed to improve the quality of your life or of others. You may never reach your goal exactly as you intended, but feel good about your effort, determination and resilience.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1813461
0 comments:
Post a Comment