Resolutions are easy to make, but hard to keep. That’s because people make unrealistic resolutions with no game plan of how to achieve them. Well, I am going to tell you how you can make and keep realistic resolutions.
First, let’s jettison the use of the word resolutions and use goals instead.
Second, if you made a resolution today, or tomorrow or on New Year’s Day, throw it away. You did it too early. Over the holidays we are all off our game. We haven’t been at work, we’ve been home or traveling, we’ve overindulged or overspent or over imbibed. We’re sick of our families or sick of ourselves or can’t button our pants. Setting a goal amidst this highly charged atmosphere is not a good idea.
Once you chose your word or theme, think about what you need to do or change to live that life. Set measurable, realistic actions to get there. Then write them down.
Instead take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, so you can take a more accurate stock of where you are and where you want to be. Then, ask yourself:
•What do I want more of in my life?
•What do I want less of?
•What do I want to improve?
•What do I want to change?
•Where do I want to be professionally?
Now you can set the right goals. For one’s personal life, instead of setting a goal, I recommend choosing a word or theme for the year.
Think about how you want to live your life and think of a word that captures that. For example, if you want to lose weight and shape up, your word may be Slim or Healthy. If you want to make do with less or be less cluttered, your word may be Simplify. If you want more money, your word may be Wealth. Think of a positive word that conjures the vision of how you want to live, and then develop a game plan to achieve that.
Last year, my word was Quality. I wanted a better quality of life, both personally and professionally. So I started say no to things and only focused on the highest quality interactions, the things that really mattered to me. And it was a great year. That one word infused all of my personal and professional dealings and interactions, from the clothes I bought to the trips I took to the clients and projects I took on.
The key is to think about what you really want in the coming year and then choose a word that captures it. For example, if your word of the year is Wealth, your goal is to have more money, so your action items may be to get a raise (and all that that entails), clip coupons, car pool, walk to work, pack your lunch, find a new financial adviser, etc. If your word of the year is Slim and your goal is to lose weight, your action items will include choosing apples over chips, taking the stairs, getting more exercise, using smaller plates, walking to work, etc.
But remember: every action must be doable. You can’t plan to work out an hour a day if that is impossible, so chose action items that are realistic. And all of the choices you make every day must work toward that goal, not away from it.
Now, for your work life, think about what you want to achieve professionally. If you are an assistant manager and want to be a manager, figure out the steps you need to take to get there. A good way to do this is find someone who has the position or career you want and find out how they got there. What do people in that position have that you don’t? What was their career course? Your action plan may include working longer hours, doing more networking, taking professional development classes, etc.
Here are a few final points to make about goals:
•Write your goals or word of the year down, and put it where you can see it. You need to remind yourself what you are working toward.
•Reevaluate your goals and your action plans. If you aren’t seeing results, perhaps you may need to tweak the game plan a bit. Don’t despair; just figure out why it isn’t working and how to make it work.
•Slow and steady wins the race, every time. Remember, you have to develop new habits to reach your goal. It is the little, daily steps that will add up to results. Ask yourself: Are my actions, however small, moving me closer to my goal or away from it?
Think broadly and realistically about your life—where you are and where you want to be both personally and professionally. Make sure the goals you set for yourself are realistic, attainable, measurable, and mesh with what you really want out of life.
First, let’s jettison the use of the word resolutions and use goals instead.
Second, if you made a resolution today, or tomorrow or on New Year’s Day, throw it away. You did it too early. Over the holidays we are all off our game. We haven’t been at work, we’ve been home or traveling, we’ve overindulged or overspent or over imbibed. We’re sick of our families or sick of ourselves or can’t button our pants. Setting a goal amidst this highly charged atmosphere is not a good idea.
Once you chose your word or theme, think about what you need to do or change to live that life. Set measurable, realistic actions to get there. Then write them down.
Instead take a few weeks to get back into the swing of things, so you can take a more accurate stock of where you are and where you want to be. Then, ask yourself:
•What do I want more of in my life?
•What do I want less of?
•What do I want to improve?
•What do I want to change?
•Where do I want to be professionally?
Now you can set the right goals. For one’s personal life, instead of setting a goal, I recommend choosing a word or theme for the year.
Think about how you want to live your life and think of a word that captures that. For example, if you want to lose weight and shape up, your word may be Slim or Healthy. If you want to make do with less or be less cluttered, your word may be Simplify. If you want more money, your word may be Wealth. Think of a positive word that conjures the vision of how you want to live, and then develop a game plan to achieve that.
Last year, my word was Quality. I wanted a better quality of life, both personally and professionally. So I started say no to things and only focused on the highest quality interactions, the things that really mattered to me. And it was a great year. That one word infused all of my personal and professional dealings and interactions, from the clothes I bought to the trips I took to the clients and projects I took on.
The key is to think about what you really want in the coming year and then choose a word that captures it. For example, if your word of the year is Wealth, your goal is to have more money, so your action items may be to get a raise (and all that that entails), clip coupons, car pool, walk to work, pack your lunch, find a new financial adviser, etc. If your word of the year is Slim and your goal is to lose weight, your action items will include choosing apples over chips, taking the stairs, getting more exercise, using smaller plates, walking to work, etc.
But remember: every action must be doable. You can’t plan to work out an hour a day if that is impossible, so chose action items that are realistic. And all of the choices you make every day must work toward that goal, not away from it.
Now, for your work life, think about what you want to achieve professionally. If you are an assistant manager and want to be a manager, figure out the steps you need to take to get there. A good way to do this is find someone who has the position or career you want and find out how they got there. What do people in that position have that you don’t? What was their career course? Your action plan may include working longer hours, doing more networking, taking professional development classes, etc.
Here are a few final points to make about goals:
•Write your goals or word of the year down, and put it where you can see it. You need to remind yourself what you are working toward.
•Reevaluate your goals and your action plans. If you aren’t seeing results, perhaps you may need to tweak the game plan a bit. Don’t despair; just figure out why it isn’t working and how to make it work.
•Slow and steady wins the race, every time. Remember, you have to develop new habits to reach your goal. It is the little, daily steps that will add up to results. Ask yourself: Are my actions, however small, moving me closer to my goal or away from it?
Think broadly and realistically about your life—where you are and where you want to be both personally and professionally. Make sure the goals you set for yourself are realistic, attainable, measurable, and mesh with what you really want out of life.
