New Year’s Resolution Road Map
New Year’s Resolutions, I simultaneously LOVE and HATE them. I love a New Year, it is fresh, a New Start. New Year, New You, all of that. But you are still YOU. You have to start with what you have. If you have been sitting on the couch eating potato chips for the last 10 years, you likely won’t be running a Marathon in March. Now can you train and run a marathon some day? ABSOLUTELY! If that is your passion, then DO IT! If you have $1 in your bank account, you likely won’t be buying a Porche in March. Again, if this is your passion, save your butt off, work hard, and at some point DO IT!
This is what I mean. I love a good dream, and even more I love a great plan. A New Year’s Resolution needs to be a great plan, not a dream or bland statement. Make it a S.M.A.R.T. Actionable Goal.
S is SPECIFIC The more details you have in your mind or better written down, more likely you are to achieve it.
M is MEASURABLE You have to be able to measure it to know if you are on track. You will lose motivation, if you are just floating along.
A is ACHIEVABLE Go Big or Go Home is great, but can also be frustrating. Have a big goal, but also have little goals that get you there. Stair step to make it more achievable.
R is RELEVANT Does this have anything to do with who you are as a person or who you want to be? Do it for you, not what you think others want from you.
T is TIME Put a timer on it. You will feel more pressure and will more likely achieve it, if you have a due date.
Make it an actionable goal. Something within your control. You cannot control the stock market, so saying, “I will have $1,000,000 by October 1st “while putting money into an investment account is not within your control. An action goal would be, “I am going to invest 10% of all of my earnings into my investment account every pay check” or “I will max out my 401K” this year. These are action goals within your control! Not I am going to lose 10lbs this week, but I am going to work out 30 minutes a day 5 times this week. See the difference?
There is also a psychological aspect to this. You need 3 things: 1. You need to perceive a need for change 2. You need to believe that you can change 3. You have to be ready to change.
#1 is soooo easy that is what all New Year’s Resolutions are based on, but #2 & #3 is what kills those Resolutions by Valentine’s Day. Really dig deep and decide if you want this. Also remember, if you slip up, THERE IS NOTHING MAGICAL ABOUT JANUARY 1st! You can start over, try again, jump back on the horse/wagon whatever cliché is your favorite. No one is perfect. There is no shame in where you are no matter how bad it seems, and no shame in a back slide. In my book, the only shame is knowing you want something, and not even trying.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, May 2019 BE YOUR BEST!
