Happy New Year from all of us at Lemonwood! We hope that 2014 is a year full of adventure and laughter for you and we hope that you pop in for a visit sometime along the way. So as 2014 kicks off and we start thinking of our resolutions here are some thoughts for you to ponder on…
At the beginning of every year we lay down a bunch of resolutions, and we believe we can most certainly achieve these. Reality is though; we barely get through the first one. Why is it in human nature that we struggle to stick to our resolutions? The truth is that most of the time we are not realistic when it comes to setting goals or resolutions. We take all our worst habits or biggest goals and give ourselves just ONE year to resolve them. We put a limit on how long we have to achieve these resolutions and ultimately we put pressure on ourselves from the word go!
Here are some encouraging ways to plan your resolutions and hopefully see each one resolved at a pace that suits your personality.
Establish what kind of person you are
If you are generally an organised type person, it may be ok for you to establish a few more than one resolution. Organised people tend to stick to their tasks and get the job done, or in this case, fulfil the resolution. If, on the other hand, you are a bit disorganised or not task oriented, maybe a spontaneous person, why not try to set one resolution for the year. This way you can make sure that whatever the situation, wherever you are, it is manageable to achieve, as it is only one thing to focus on. You won’t become overwhelmed by the thought of not having stuck to your many resolutions and you can complete it at your own pace.
Set realistic time frames
How often have you made a bold resolution that “by Easter I would have…“ ? Are you really ok with giving yourself 3 or 4 months to kick that habit? Let’s be realistic. Any resolution set to be fulfilled before the 6 month mark is tapping on the pressure button. Even worse, if you have more than one resolution, be prepared to potentially not finish all by the end of the year. It is ok to carry your resolution over to the next year. A resolution is a personal feat that can be conquered at your own pace and once achieved that sense of joy outweighs all the pressure you put on yourself. So do yourself a favour this year, make one resolution and don’t give yourself a deadline.
Find a friend who will hold you to it
Resolutions can be serious things and when it comes down to it, it can be really difficult to go it alone. Find your most honest friend, the one who tells you you have food on your face. Ask this person to keep you in check, to keep asking how the resolution is coming along. Someone who you can be accountable to will make a world of difference and it will take the pressure off a bit knowing that you have someone else backing you. It may not be a good idea to get your friends to join you in your resolution, as this will make for an easy way out if one of them throws in the towel.
These tactics are not rocket science; they are purely here to help you start restructuring your thoughts around resolutions. Hopefully they will encourage you to accomplish each of your resolutions in the years to come. With a clear head, a plan in mind and some will power I have full faith in you as you begin to set realistic resolutions.
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