Let's resolve to do better

Ornella Green

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

A new year has begun and with every new beginning it marks a chance for us all to start afresh. And as habit will dictate, many of us have already started to think about or have made our New Year's resolutions. However, let's face it, most of us tend to fail at these each year.

The enthusiasm that we begin the year with soon fades and the old habits return as quickly as they left. Yet, we continue to hope that with each year we can make an improvement.

What we fail to recognise is that instead of making resolutions what we should be doing is making goals and plans to achieve those goals.

You may be wondering, 'Well what's the difference between a goal and a resolution?' Though the definitions may be similar, when compared a goal can be more likened to an achievable objective whereas a resolution may be associated with an ideal.

Now that we've differentiated between the two, how are we going to go about achieving those goals of improvement that we have made for 2012?

Reset your mind

We are conditioned beings and as a result habits are hard to break. The first thing we must do if we truly want to accomplish our goal is to condition our mind towards it. Making a mental effort as a first step can go a long way in achieving desired goals.

Lessen the load

It is a habit of many to have a long list of resolutions and as a result we end up stretching ourselves too thin. Rather, try writing down two or three goals we wish to achieve in 2012 and focus our energies on those goals and how we can achieve them.

Think long-term

Look to the distant future and stop making unachievable short time periods. Rome wasn't built in a day and, therefore, you cannot expect that after years of having a bad habit that within a day, two days or two weeks that you are going to overcome it. Make small, but significant changes with each day until you've fully mastered your habits.

Be clear

Our resolutions and goals often tend to be too vague. We tend to say 'we want to lose weight' rather than 'we want to lose 20 lbs in six months'. Or we may say 'I am going to exercise' yet we haven't come up with any plan of action. When we make more specific goals and make a good plan of action, our goals seem more attainable and, therefore, we are more likely to follow through with them.

Don't sweat the small stuff

As was mentioned before, habits are things that have been developing for weeks, months and even years and you cannot expect to get rid of them overnight. There are going to be times when you falter and return to your old ways, however, the most important thing is to recognise this and begin again until you've achieved your goal.

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Let's resolve to do better