Welcome to 2021! How’s it going for you so far? Good, I hope. Or at least better that 2020.
Wasn’t 2020 awful? It started with . . . you know, I’m not going to dwell on last year. Yes, there was a lot of awful rotten things that happened in 2020, but let’s look forward and try to be positive.
So how are you going to make 2021 better? Did you set a New Year’s Resolution? You might have, about half of us do. So, what is it: Lose Weight? Save Money? Get Organized?
I’ve been there, with all of those resolutions. Here’s the thing with resolutions: resolving to do something isn’t enough. You need to have a goal and set a plan. I know, it sounds like work, but if you want to lose weight, or save money, or get organized, you’ll need to do some work. So how do you go about achieving your goals? You work smart! (Don’t worry, I’m not going to go into SMART goals.)
I’ve had many goals during my journey to better healthy. Stop feeling fat. Start shopping in the misses section of the store. Run a 5k. A few years ago, my WW leader sent out a five-step plan to help keep New Year’s Resolutions. They were about focusing on the goal, baby steps to the goal, and finally celebrating achieving the goal. I used these tools to help me achieve my dreams, and no I’m going to share them with you! Here are five simple steps to achieving your goals!
Write it Down or Speak it Out Loud
It doesn’t matter if you call it a resolution or a goal, the first step whenever you decide to do something is to affirm it. I don’t know about you, but for me, writing things down just make them more real. I keep small pads of paper and pencils all over my house. I’m pretty sure it drives my husband a little nuts sometimes, but I always like being able to write stuff down and keeping post-it pads and pencils around make it easy. So write it down. Put it in a planner. Add it to your calendar. Add it to a vision board. Put a post-it on your fridge or mirror. Make it real. Alternatively, if speaking is more your thing, say it out loud. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself what you’re going to do. And be strong about it – believe in it!
Tell someone else
Share with a friend and family. Don’t think they can help? Find an accountability buddy, or join a Facebook group of people with similar resolutions. That’s one of the beautiful things about social networks – you can find people from all over just like you to help you reach your goals.
KISS it!
Yes, KISS it! As in Keep It Simple Stupid! Sometimes our goals are so big, we get in our own way by making things more complicated than they have to be. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, you can’t expect to wake up tomorrow 10, 20, 50 pounds lighter. Start with smaller goals. I want to lose 5 lbs. I want to lose 10% of my body weight. I want to drop a pant size (or fit into last year’s jeans). Making it smaller keeps it simple.
Focus on the Little Things
You’re not going to lose that weight overnight. You’re also not going to lose that weigh without making changes. And yes, these changes will be major, but they don’t have to be all at once. Make little changes: I’m going to swap out one soda of a glass of water each day. I’m going to eat one more serving of vegetables a day. I’m going to move for 10 minutes a day. Start with small changes and grow.
Celebrate your Wins!
Every time you reach one of your little goals, or you realized you made one of your baby steps a habit – celebrate! Post it on Facebook or Instagram. Add a star to your calendar or planner. Give yourself a little treat.
Simple, aren’t they? Just five steps to keep in mind as you focus on your future. It doesn’t matter if your focus is better health, financial growth, personal growth, or anything else, following these five steps will see you achieving your goals!
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