It’s the beginning of a new year. 2016. There is a cultural pressure and a personal desire to “better” yourself by creating some kind of New Year’s Resolution. You come up with a few ideas. Maybe it is an act of self-improvement. You decide to get fit. Maybe you want to do something to help others. You decide to volunteer at an organization and impact someone’s life. In your mind, the passing of 2015 into 2016 is the perfect time to change yourself. Excitement of the season gets you pumped up to become who you REALLY want to be. No more getting kicked around by life. No more going through the motions. No more excuses.
The first few weeks of the year pass by. Soon you realize that it is the end of January and you haven’t even begun your New Year’s Resolution. Therefore, you continue in your old ways and 2016 seems to just be a repeat of all the previous years in your life. This is a common pattern. I’m not saying that New Year’s Resolutions never work but I do believe there is a simple solution that is more effective in achieving the change that you want in your life.
Here are some suggestions that may be useful in order to avoid the failure of another New Year’s Resolution:
1. Start small.
Break it down for yourself. Don’t get too ambitious. Instead of creating one huge goal for the whole year, try setting a small goal each day. This will help to not get overwhelmed. If you focus on the little goals and their success, you will be able to look back one day and see how it all added up to achieve that big change you’ve been looking for.
2. Start today.
You don’t have to wait for a new year to begin making changes. Today is the perfect day to start working toward where you want to be. Live in the moment. Be present and committed to your goals today.
3. Fully commit.
While life gets busy and overwhelming, remind yourself of your commitments. If you make an intentional effort to fully commit, then there is no reason to get discouraged. Set small goals everyday and work toward achieving them.
4. Invite others in.
It’s always helpful when you have someone beside you. Maybe it is someone working toward the same goal as you or maybe it is someone who has been in your shoes before. Find someone who will be supportive and encouraging of your decisions and invite them into your journey.
5. Embrace struggle and failure.
We don’t live in a world without struggle and failure. So prepare for and expect that there will be struggle and failure in your journey towards change. Most importantly, embrace this as part of your journey. Keep moving forward and don’t give up when things get difficult.
6. Record the journey.
Working toward change in your life is truly a journey. There will be ups and downs. It may be helpful to keep a journal and record everything. Writing it out can help you process your feelings and set easy, attainable goals. Someday you may be able to look back and see how far you have come.
7. Have faith.
Faith has multiple dimensions. First of all, have faith in yourself. Believe that you can be whoever you want to be. Believe that you can do whatever you want to do. Don’t ever lose faith in your abilities. Secondly, have faith that you are exactly where you are meant to be in your life. Every struggle happens for a reason and is a necessary part of the journey. Take heart in this fact and continue to move forward in faith.
8. Be proud of yourself.
No matter how far you get, remember to be proud of yourself. You are amazing and are capable of so much! Never forget that.
I hope that these tips help you achieve the change you want to see in your life! Decide where you want to be, what you want your focus in life to be, and what change is necessary in order for you to be your authentic self. Make small goals, start working on them today, don’t give up, and smile through it all. You are capable and you are loved. I believe in you! Do you believe in yourself?
