Well here we are well into the new year, about 4 weeks after making anywhere from one to several New Year’s Resolutions. I’m curious, how are those working out for you? If you are like most of the U.S. population, I’m going to bet not so well. If you’re failing or have already called it quits, I promise, you are not alone.
So if that’s the case, tell me, why do we make these resolutions? Nobody wants to be a failure! Why set ourselves up to fail at something we want so badly to achieve? Our best intentions are behind the making of these goals, of that I am certain. Our desire to succeed is most often through the roof! Which is precisely why we feel so badly when we are not able to accomplish what we set out to do.
So let’s get to the point here. Why are so many of us failing to do something we want so badly to do? I can think of a few reasons I would like to share with you.
The time to start changing something about ourselves that we aren’t happy with isn’t January 1st, it isn’t tomorrow and it wasn’t last week. The time is NOW. At this very moment. Any moment in time that you chose to do something new is a beginning for you. There is no ‘special’ time that will guarantee you to be successful at achieving your goal.
We need a plan. Your only planning for your goal cannot be a start time. You’re going to have to do a little more work than that. For instance, if your goal was to lose weight, exactly how were you going to do it? A plan such as committing to walk 30 minutes every day, eliminating late night desserts and giving up sweetened beverages is certainly a good start! You have to be precise about what you want and how you’re going to get there to ensure success. Sure you could live in Rhode Island and say you want to drive to California, head west and find your way there. Eventually you’ll get there. But no doubt it will be a long and painful process. If you want to get there in the least amount of time possible, have a comfortable ride, a guaranteed place to sleep and eat each night, you better have a map for routing and a directory of places to stay and eat along the way. With thoughtful preparation your journey will be a lot more organized, pleasant and successful.
So if you’re feeling like you’ve failed your New Year’s resolution I hope you will find these words as encouragement and resolve to start fresh, start now. Make a plan, be precise, and be specific.
If weight loss is your goal, set a specific amount to lose within a certain amount of time. Be reasonable whatever your goal might be. Remember, you’re not driving from Rhode Island to California in a day.