Resolutions.. Don’t you mean the goals you set in January and forget about in March?! (that is, if you manage to make it to March…)
Resolutions are sometimes a sore subject because we remember all the resolutions we haven’t kept!
How many times did you resolve to lose weight, eat healthy, go to bed early, etc.? How many of those did you keep?
I used to make and fail resolutions every year as well.
One December, as a local religious leader encouraged me to start thinking of my New Year’s resolutions, I felt myself roll my eyes and think “Ugh, here we go again. Another goal I am not excited about and won’t keep”.
That’s when it dawned on me – why don’t I make a goal I’m excited about?!
So I started thinking about who I want to be and what I was excited to learn. One idea I landed on was gardening – I always dreamed of being a gardener someday, though I didn’t really ever make a plan on how.
I decided to make a resolution about gardening, and I was super excited about it.
Instead of making a bunch of small nit-picky goals, I decided to just progress in one way each week.
If I had time to read an article about plants, I would! When I had time to buy a houseplant, I would! If I had time just to water my plants, that’s what I would do.
By making a goal I was excited about, I was way more motivated to stick with it. I also decided to make progress each week, but in whatever way I had time for or could manage.
By making a goal so simple, I never felt overwhelmed at how much I had to do or discouraged at how far I had come. I just learned more and did more each week.
It was really fun! Needless to say, I stuck with this resolution through the entire year!
I learned a few things about resolutions:
- It’s important to make goals you’re excited about. Otherwise, you’ll have to battle with yourself every day to recommit to your goal. So pick goals that are fun or meaningful to you, something you can be excited about. Let the excitement fuel your commitment
- Simplicity is key. I didn’t map out a million tiny goals or make a bunch of checklist items or design a progress chart. Instead, I focused on progressing in one way, big or small, each week. I was able to be gentle with myself on busy weeks and push myself on easy weeks. The simple progress goal was easy to remember and do, so I avoided feeling overwhelmed and giving up.
- The snowball effect is real! As I focused on small victories, I felt fueled to do more. I felt great about my progress and wanted to feel great again! Making progress is exciting and boosts motivation.
If you are struggling with making and keeping goals, try something new! Switch it up by finding something you’re passionate about, simplifying your goal, or reflecting on your progress.
What strategies do YOU use to stick to your goals? Let me know down below!
Read next: