How to keep (New Year’s) promises?
New Year’s resolutions are a difficult matter. Most people have them, but the majority don’t believe that they will come true. It is confirmed by the statistics: the people who survive until March are tough guys – most of us give up after a month. However, out of this small group that lasted 3 months, only 5% of people will actually implement the New Year’s resolutions in their daily routine. Are you wondering what you can do to achieve this? We have some advice for you!
Motivation isn’t enough
Good intentions or high motivation are not enough to achieve your goal. On the way to our ambitions, we encounter various obstacles that can effectively weaken our motivation or good intentions. Regardless of whether you want to lose weight, learn a foreign language, start saving money or become a better person… wanting is definitely not enough. Success is hidden in consistent, mundane, everyday activities. And the further we get into the year, the more we lose sight of our goal. So write down your goals for 2021 and hang where they would be most visible to you.
Focus on 3 things
We tend to make long lists of things we want to do in the New Year. In this way, we weaken our chances of success. Quit smoking, lose weight, start jogging, learn Chinese, call grandma once a week, crochet and master chess… it’s too much for one person. If you really want to achieve your New Year’s resolutions, choose 3 that are most important to you and focus your attention on them. Don’t let other things distract you. Make them your priority and save the rest for the next time. The fewer the better. When implementing the provisions, it is quality that counts, not quantity.
What do you really want?
This is the key question. Just because everyone is learning to play chess because they are into the new TV series, doesn’t mean you have to do it too. If you want to feel that you can achieve your goals, you have to really want to do something. If your motivation is not sincere, your chances of sticking to your decision are slim.
Be precise about your goals
So do not say: “in 2021 I will lose 5 kg”, but “by April 30 I will weigh 60 kg”. The more specific you express the goal you want to achieve, the more likely you are to be successful. Also, don’t formulate general goals, such as “I’ll be a better person.” You have to define what “better” means. Maybe “Seeing an elderly person with shopping bags, I will always help to bring them home”? I will not “be a better parent”, but “I will spend at least 1.5 hours a day with my child playing freely”. Specific goal = specific effect. Thanks to this, you know exactly what you are striving for!
Consistency, not perfection
Also, remember that hurdles happen to everyone. On the way to the goal, it is normal that sometimes something goes wrong, sometimes we change our direction, we eat chocolate (although we are on a diet). The important thing is to boldly look at yourself in the mirror after each slip and say: “Okay, now you have failed. It’s hard. Tomorrow we’re back in action!” And consistently, keep doing what you do every day!
