New Year, New You
6 Tips for Making Your Resolutions a Reality
Why publish an article on New Year’s resolutions in February? Simple. February is the time we all start to fail and give up!
The arrival of a new year often inspires us to make positive changes in our lives and relationships. From losing weight to quitting smoking to going on more dates, we make resolutions with the best of intentions. However, many of us struggle to keep these promises to ourselves and we find ourselves back at square one by February. If you’re ready to turn your resolutions into reality, read on for 6 tips that can help you make this the year you achieve your goals.
One: Turn Your Dreams into Goals
A dream is a wish or hope that you have. You may want it really really badly. But just because we want something doesn’t mean that we are going to get it! Take time to turn your dreams and resolutions into actionable goals. Try to figure out a way for those goals to be measured and tracked. Break them down so you can take small steps and mark progress and celebrate early wins.
Two: Review Your Resolutions Every Day
Here’s the rule: what gets attention, gets action.
Pretty simple. If you forget it, you’ll miss it. So, review those resolutions often. Where will you keep the list to ensure you see it every day?
Think about how you can narrow the gap between where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow. Then do it.
Three: Create a Support System of Like-Minded People
Goal-setters need other goal-setters for understanding and encouragement. There are at least 3 types of relationships that could be helpful to you:
- Peers: Who do you hang out with? How do you spend your social time? Can you cultivate friendships with people who will spur you on to action? A group of goal-setting and goal-communicating peers is a powerful thing. Even one is better than none.
- Mentors: If you can find individuals who have already achieved things on your list, ask them for tips. What did they do that was helpful? What did they try that didn’t work?
- Coaches: A life coach can help you create and work toward a plan of action for your personal resolutions. There are many life coaches out there, all you need to find one is a quick internet search. Look for a coach who has both training and experience—personally I prefer licensed therapists. Most coaches have some training, but the difference is therapists’ training met three levels of standards: the university graduate level program they completed, the state they were licensed in, and the profession to which they belong. By virtue of their profession, therapists also adhere to a higher standard of ethics, accountability, and confidentiality than non-therapist life coaches. Many therapists I know are trained in life coaching.
Four: Increase Your Energy and Stamina
You are more likely to achieve your personal goals if you have energy and endurance. Generally speaking, here’s what that means:
- Eat healthier: Eating well is about balance, not about deprivation and starvation. Try to eat less sugary sweets, less processed foods, and as many whole foods as you can. I remind myself, “Mother Earth makes better food for me than humans do”. Oh, and eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t have to shop the most expensive grocery store or sign up for a health food delivery program. You can. But you don’t have to.
- Exercise more by doing what you enjoy: Is there anything worse than trying to convince yourself you actually want to walk on a treadmill? When it’s cold, try skiing or snowboarding, ice skating, or—if you want to be inside—join a gym or an aquatics center. When it’s warm, get out in nature—try hiking, cycling, kayaking, or rock climbing; or, get social—find a group that plays soccer or basketball on Saturday mornings. Find what works for you. Are you a person who likes routine or variety? We don’t just exercise to lose weight; we exercise to improve our cardio and pulmonary function (heart and lungs), boost our mental health, and even purge toxins from our body by way of sweat.
- Get the right amount of sleep: The ideal for the average adult is 7-8 hours per night. If something regularly impedes your sleep (sorry, not young children!), like sleep apnea, leg cramps, or an uncomfortable bed, make a plan to correct it. Your immune system suffers when you do not get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep can reduce the body’s production of protective cytokines, which are crucial in defending against infections!
Five: Reduce Stress in Your Life
One of the best ways to reduce stress and anxiety is through traditional talk therapy. A therapist can help you create external strategies to reduce the number of stressors coming your way as well as internal strategies to manage those you simply must handle.
Another great idea, is to begin a journey of living more simply. I remember when I discovered The Power of Less by Leo Babauta back in 2008. If you haven’t read it, you should.
Aside from living more simply, you can alleviate stress through practices such as deep breathing, yoga, socializing with friends, reading, journaling, expressing creativity in your preferred medium, or exercise.
Six: Expand Your Focus Time
More time without demand or distraction allows you more time to pursue and achieve these resolutions. The primary ways to do this is are:
- Set healthier boundaries: Start with setting better boundaries around work and unhealthy relationships. If you are unfamiliar with this concept or need a refresher there are many great books, blogs, and podcasts on the subject.
- Reduce your task load: I recommend killing it DEAD. The productivity concept of DEAD comes from another book I highly recommend: What’s Best Next by Matt Perman. The goal here is to reduce non-priorities so we can do what really matters. DEAD is (1) Delegate, (2) Eliminate, (3) Automate, and (4) Defer.
- Minimize distraction: You will be amazed how much more productive and creative you’ll be if you can do this. Eliminate interruptions by turning off your phone, closing email, and minimizing the use of social media during your focused time. You’ll find that you’re able to complete tasks more efficiently and have a greater sense of accomplishment afterward.
Well, that’s it!
If you need help, our team at Restore Therapy is here for you. Contact us at 616-228-9244 or submit a secure contact form to get scheduled with a Restore therapist today!
Bryan R. Wisdom, MDiv, MA, LLMFT is a therapist with Restore Therapy Collective (100% telehealth), and has been involved in helping work for 19+ years. His personal mission is the help others live authentically, make better decisions, develop healthier relationships, and adventure beyond impossible. He loves his wife and kids, counseling, learning, comedy, strategy board games, travel, and outdoor adventures.
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