Time keeps moving so fast and like an electric train it speeds off with no stops or warning other than the clocks and calendars that enable us keep track. January 1st 2011 still remains so fresh in my head and what?! It’s December already!!! A new month starts and just before you get comfortable in it, its happy new month again. The year started with us making various resolutions and setting goals hoped to be achieved during the course of the season. For some, it was to shed off those extra pounds, others it was to manage their finances and begin that investment plan they have been stalling on; make a bold step of taking that relationship to the next level,; travel and see other parts of the world; drop off some not so cool habits e.t.c. We all know what we reflected on and decided upon but the question is, “How many of those resolutions were kept?” Could it be the euphoria of the unveiling of a New Year or are we being sincere to ourselves? If you're like most people, you probably experienced the sudden splash of motivation and energy that comes in early January.
The resolution bug bites us and we feel the adrenalin rushing through our veins making us feel so much passion to make a difference. Sadly, New Year's resolutions are short-lived, if not completely forgotten by February or March. Why do you think we get distracted and loose track along the way? No doubt, we sometimes make plans but unforeseen forces pop up and trigger it off. It could also be due to indiscipline, lack of proper planning and insincerity. We make unrealistic resolutions and give vague timelines in achieving them which leads to disappointments except a miracle happens.
The resolution bug bites us and we feel the adrenalin rushing through our veins making us feel so much passion to make a difference. Sadly, New Year's resolutions are short-lived, if not completely forgotten by February or March. Why do you think we get distracted and loose track along the way? No doubt, we sometimes make plans but unforeseen forces pop up and trigger it off. It could also be due to indiscipline, lack of proper planning and insincerity. We make unrealistic resolutions and give vague timelines in achieving them which leads to disappointments except a miracle happens.
The trick to making resolutions work is to take steps which are required to make any goal work but this has been streamlined to just 3 points:
Choose the Right Resolution and be specific: Give some thought to what you really want and why you want it. What direct benefits do you hope to receive? Being specific means setting milestones and putting deadlines to it. A resolution "to lose 20 pounds by May 12th" is much more effective than the ambiguously phrased goal "to lose weight." To avoid or lessen chances of failure, setting New Year’s resolution must be anchored on reality and timelines.
Create a Plan: Create a detailed plan on how you intend to accomplish your goal. Without a plan, you are very unlikely to succeed. Coming up with a comprehensive list of steps is not easy for everyone, start the planning process by first identifying all of the obstacles that stand between you and your desired goal. Once the obstacles have been identified, it is fairly easy for anybody to generate a comprehensive to-do list for accomplishing the goal.
Have Constant Reminders: With a good plan in hand, making significant progress toward your goal may require very little discipline for those who live strictly by daily planners and love nothing more than checking off items on our to-do lists. You can also get help from people around you; it could be your closest friend, people from work, a mentor or family. By making your aspirations known to others who play a significant role in your life, you get support along the way. At the same time, you get reminders every now and then.
Few weeks from now, many people become sober and reflective because it dawns on them that the 12 months which seemed like a never ending journey is up right before their very eyes and nothing can be reversed. You go down memory lane; looking back through the months, weeks, days and hours feeling either FULFILLED or WASTED. Resolutions can be made at any point in the year, it really doesn’t matter. It’s not about writing that long list of ‘TO DO’ and ‘DO NOT’ but actually ensuring targets set are achieved.
Sticking to those resolutions requires a lot more than just words!
Looking forward to a beautiful season!!
I totally agree with you, time waits for no one. Resolutions should be thought of as more than mere wors, as actions and steps that should be taken towards self fulfillment.
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