So what will be your New Year resolution for 2014?
We all love to make spur of the moment declarations on New Year’s eve and so with 31 December nearly seven days away, the question may seem premature .
But here’s a scary statistic – 90 to 80 percent of people who make New Year resolutions fail to achieve their goals, going off-course within weeks or first few months into the new year.
Unrealistic expectations of ourselves and lack of preparedness are the two main reasons why we fail in our New Year resolutions.
Here’s a quick check –
If answers to these questions leave you dumbfounded, then unfortunately your New Year resolution(s) for 2014 will be part of the above-mentioned statistic.
To have a fighting chance at being successful at your New Year resolutions, you need a ‘game plan’. Here are 5 simple tips to achieve your resolutions this year.
1.Plan now – Look back at your hits and misses in 2013, both professionally and personally, and evaluate what you would have liked to have done differently.
2.Pick one resolution – No matter how well you multitask, if you are serious about actually making a long-lasting change, pick one resolution that speaks to you most.
3.Break it down into actions – List down the actions you need to take to for achieving the goal. For instance my New Year resolution for 2014 is to blog consistently, once a week.To achieve my goal of writing a reasonably good blog every week, I plan to make a list of potential blog topics and schedule posts 2- 3 weeks in advance. I also intend dedicating Saturdays to maintaining my blog.
4.Track progress; celebrate achievements and dismiss occasional failures – Maintain a record of your hits and misses in reaching the final goal. However, New Year resolutions must be fun. So reward yourself when you achieve an interim milestone, and should you slip-up, don’t be too hard on yourself.
5.Share your New Year resolution – If you want to lose weight over the next few months, you will need more than steely resolve to stay on a healthy diet and exercise more. That additional ‘X’ factor will be the support of the people around you – family, friends and colleagues. Involve them in your decision to undertake a change in lifestyle or habit.
The most popular New Year resolutions include losing weight, finding a new job, finding love, saving more and learning a new hobby. If you are a freelance writer like me then improving your craft will probably top of your list.
This time round decide your New Year Resolution well-ahead of the final day of the year and follow through with these basic tips to emerge victorious.
I certainly intend to.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!