Have you given up on your new year’s resolutions already?
Don’t worry, you are not alone. According to Forbes business magazine online, a mere 8% of people who start the year with a list of resolutions actually fulfill them, when all is said and done.
Here are some steps to getting back on track, staying motivated and fulfilling your goals for 2014.
– Set realistic goals. If you’ve been a smoker for as long as you can remember it will be hard to quit ‘cold turkey.’ Instead, start by smoking fewer cigarettes a day or resolve to smoke only after a specified time/task. Simple goals are less daunting and limit the magnitude of change to attainable aims.
– Set clear goals by giving yourself benchmarks to measure your progress against. It isn’t enough to say “I will go to the gym,” as this often sets people up to procrastinate all year. “I will go to the gym twice a week” or “I will lose five kilograms by April allows you to regularly assess your progress and enjoy your achievements on the road to fulfilling your resolution.
– Make yourself accountable. Don’t keep your resolutions in your head; write them down, make a ‘vision board’ or tell family and friends so that they can help motivate you when you feel willpower is lacking.
– Believe in yourself. The most important step is knowing that you have the power to control your destiny and change the things about yourself that need work. Don’t be demotivated by setbacks, instead, expect them and be mentally prepared to put them into perspective and move past them.
In the words of the Buddha, “It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you. Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence.”
