Goals & Resolutions

Happy 2014!  Do you start the year off with all sorts of goals and resolutions?  Do you actually keep them?

Do you make New Year's Resolutions or Goals?

I'm terribly at keeping resolutions. So I don't make them anymore. Instead I look at making small attainable goals and creating good habits.

So instead of saying I'm going to lose 40 lbs I'm going to work towards losing 10.  So if I step on the scale tomorrow and see I've gained a pound (or more with all the Chinese food I've been consuming) I'm not freaked out that I've shot my 40 lb goal.  I'm shooting for 10 and looser fitting clothing.  So I'm looking at losing 11 lbs instead of 41.  See where I'm going with this?  Smaller more attainable goals. So when I meet that goal at some point I'm excited and can make a new attainable goal if I decide I should continue to work on losing weight.  This works for any goal, not just weight loss.

They say (except I really don't know who "they" are) that it takes 28 days to make something a habit.  I can say I want to blog every day, but you know what?  I won't make it.  I get busy, life gets in the way and lots of other things keep me from writing.  I did a 30 day blog challenge once.  I made it 20 days.  (sigh)  Today a snowstorm is creating time for me to write - not something I can count on every day.  So today I worked on my personal calendar.  I scheduled time each week for writing.  I scheduled it on a day I have other things going on so that I won't book an all day class or something on that day.  Will I do it every week?  I don't know.

I've also realized that I need accountability to someone other than myself.  I belonged to accountability groups for my business and I am returning to Weight Watchers.  To help with my fitness and health goals I've joined a friends weight & fitness accountability group.

How many people who make resolutions actually keep them?  According to Statistic Brain only about 8%.

So as we begin 2014, let's cut ourselves a little slack and start with some attainable goals instead of large resolutions we'll probably drop in just a few weeks.

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