A brand new year signifies new goals, dreams and desires, especially if it’s going to mark a new beginning for you. You may be a fresh graduate starting out on a challenging job or a newly married woman who’s expecting a first born and whatever it is, we’re sure that you’ve placed some expectations upon yourself.
To be better in what you do and to improve yourself, why not make some new year resolutions for 2017? We know that they can be difficult to manage, let alone accomplish, but it’s always worth a shot. Here are some tips to help you be realistic about your resolutions:
Be very specific – A common mistake people make is setting very general goals like, “I want to save money”. Your resolutions should be very specific, realistic and achievable so take your time to think about it thoroughly. Why do you want to do this? What good will come out of it? Make sure that you answer these questions.
Narrow down your efforts – Trying to do too many things at once can make you feel very overwhelmed and unfocused. Instead, prep yourself for success and take on one or two undertakings at a time. Break these goals into smaller steps and start strong!
Write it down – Now that you’ve got a rough idea of the goals you want to work on, write them down and have an outline on the small manageable steps you can take to achieve these goals. Take your time to plan these steps carefully and realistically, according to your daily schedule and depending on how busy you may be.
Remind yourself everyday – If you’re having troubles keeping to your goals, use these tricks to constantly remind yourself! You can paste sticky notes on your bathroom mirror, or put it on your desktop so you’ll see it every time you switch on your computer. You would know what works best for yourself, so use it to your advantage.]
Get rid of doubt – Do not self-sabotage your resolutions! If you’re prone to being negative and always have thoughts about how you’re not good enough, learn to stay in control and move past these feelings. Whenever you start to doubt yourself, recite your positive mantra.
Get a partner – Having a friend to work with you towards the same goals makes your life much easier as there is someone there to motivate you constantly. Discuss your progress and challenges and most importantly, be supportive and stay positive for one another.
Focus on the process – We’re sure that you’d be familiar with this scenario: you get so enthusiastic about doing something only to see it come crashing down when you’re not seeing any quick results from your efforts. Persistence is the key here and we can assure you that it will pay off.
Forgive your failures – Your failures and setbacks will not define who you are or your success in the future. If you’ve messed up, don’t beat yourself up over it and reflect on the lessons they hold. At least you’d know to work harder the next time to achieve your desires.
