1 month down… 11 to go! How are your New Years Resolutions tracking?
Did you launch into the New Year with gusto, pizazz and a brain FULL of goals just waiting to be smashed? And then, did life get in the way and slowly but surely the burning bright lights of these goals started to fade into the background of your busy to do list; juggling work, kids, friends, relationships and everything else life throws at you. So you're approaching January 31st no closer to starting (let alone achieving) these goals and you feel like you may as well just give up and chalk it up as another failed New Year's Resolution?
Well, all is not entirely lost. The good news is-that although it may be the end of January-there are still 11 MONTHS LEFT IN THE YEAR!!!! There is still lots of time left to kick those goals into gear and smash them! But, if you do what you've always done-you'll get you've always gotten, so what can you do different TODAY that will get those goals happening now?
Here is my top tips and hints to ensure you achieve your goals and continue to stay motivated to achieving them!
- Don't have too many goals! If your New Years Resolution list reads like a shopping list then it's time to shorten it and prioritise! Having too many goals can overwhelm you and make it feel almost impossible to achieve anything-so Pick your Top 3 (at maximum) and have laser like focus on achieving these.
- Make a Vision Board related to each goal-if you know what the goal looks and feels like you can almost imagine yourself in the situation where you have achieved it and it will propel you towards the pleasure of living the life you want!
- Ensure the goal is SMART. No wishy washy goals allowed! "Get fit, tone up" may sound like a great goal but its not exactly specific, measurable, realistic, achievable or timely. " Be able to run 5km's without stopping and be in the Good Body Fat % range for my age by my 40th Birthday" is a perfect SMART goal that you yourself and even someone else (like a Vision Personal Trainer!) can hold you accountable to!
- Break the SMART goal down into milestones. So your 40th birthday is in October-it could feel like a long way away to be working to these goals but if you break it down into milestones then you can check them off as you go and know that you are on track to your overall goal. For example: "Join a running club by 14th February", "Lose 5kgs by 1st April", "Participate in the 4km Mother's Day Classic on May 2nd" and "Run 5km at the Melbourne Marathon Festival in October", gives you checkpoints along the way so you can keep motivated and focused on the long term!
- Don't "Reward" yourself but celebrate your small achievements. Particularly when thinking about health and fitness goals it is important to not "reward" yourself for doing something that will help you achieve your goals. This usually means that when you lose those 5kgs by April 1st you may have usually allowed yourself a "reward" of a piece of cake or a tub of ice cream. But these "rewards" are actually detrimental to achieving your long term goals as they set you off track and remind of old habits you have tried hard to break. Rather than "rewards" practice Mindfulness and acknowledge what you have achieved and feel grateful for it-and maybe celebrate by doing something that you can do now that you couldn't before! Maybe that is going for a walk outside with your partner or putting on the pair of skinny jeans that have been in your wardrobe for so long-whatever that acknowledgement or celebration is-do it mindfully and then start the next steps in the process to achieving your long term goal!
So-what are you waiting for? Start working on your goals today-it's not too late-2015 is ready and raring to go!
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
