Making Your Goals Happen | How to Stick To Your New Year's Resolutions
We are now two days into 2019. Everyone has their goals set, their vision boards made and they are ready to make ish happen.
We all start out with big goals, positivity and enthusiasm to meet those goals. According to the Washington Post, 77 percent stay consistent with their resolution for the first week. 71 percent stay consistent for two weeks. That drops to 64 percent in the third and fourth weeks, with 50 percent staying consistent for three weeks and only 46 percent staying consistent for six months. Why does that number drop? Why can the majority of us only stick to our resolutions for a week or two?
I personally think a big part of it is that we are missing the action part of a goal. A goal without action is just a dream. Last year was the first year I made an action plan for my New Year’s resolutions, and I made all of them come true, I’ve stuck to them and I didn’t even put them on my list this year because they are a part of my life. This includes eating healthy, consistently working out, running a 5K and flossing every day!
As you can see, you can reach any goal you set with an action plan. So how do I do that?
When making a goal I first do a vision board. I picture what I want my life to look like in a year, 5 years and 10 years. I look at what I want my career to look like, my home life, my personal life and my financial life. It helps me understand where I want to go and how my goals fit into that vision.
I make the goals! I make measurable, realistic goals. For example, in my vision board, I pictured a well-rounded and educated professional. Therefore, I made it a goal to read a book once a month. Measurable, realistic and something that will get me where I want to be.
Action plan! The key part. How am I going to read a book once a month? I plan out how to fit it into my schedule, what books I’m going to read and I write it down. So, I’m going to read Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” in January, and read for 10 minutes before bed, at least. There you go - action.
Just do it. You can plan all you want, but if you don’t actually do it then it’s pointless. This requires discipline but after a while, it will be habit.
Here’s another example: healthy eating. This is my resolution from last year.
I pictured myself as one of those girls who woke up early, made green smoothies, kicked her butt during a workout, did yoga, etc.
My goal was to eat clean by limiting dairy and sugar, and eating 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies.
I found a diet that fit with my lifestyle through research, made a meal plan based on those foods, made a grocery list and used that meal plan every week.
I actually stuck to the meal plan and meal prepped.
Bingo - goal accomplished.
So what are your goals for this year? What are the action steps you’re going to take to get there?
Wishing you a happy + healthy 2019!
