Last year my good friend Bharat Bhise and I were joking about how we always failed our new year’s resolutions, and after the laughter died down we decided that we should take action and make 2019 the year all of that changed. I can safely report that here, at the end of the year, both Bharat and I have completed our resolutions and we are once again looking forward to doing the same in the coming year. If you are like we were, always making grand plans and then failing to stick to them, here are some tips to help you deliver.
Start Right Away
Something which I was guilty of in the past was waking up worse for wear on the 1st of Jan, putting off getting started until the 2nd, which quickly became the 10th, and by then failing to start at all, or not starting with any real gusto. No matter how you feel on the 1st of January you have to get started, this is a new year and the first day is the best time to get things moving.
Mapping it Out
It is all well and good to say that you wish to lose weight, or do more for charity, or try out a new hobby, but unless you actually map it out then you are going to greatly struggle in doing it. My personal resolution last year was to lose weight, I decided that I wanted to lose 10kg by April 1st, I worked out a diet and an exercise plan and I would weigh myself on the 1st of each month to measure my progress. In doing this I was able to visualize what I was going to do, which really helped me to go after it. Think of your resolution, think of how you’ll achieve it, and then go get it.
One or Two
Any more than two resolutions and you are going to find it extremely difficult to give your full focus and energy to them, and that could say you failing on them all. Keep it simple, the new year is a time to start fresh but that is not to say that you should dedicate yourself to completely changing your life. Think of one or two things that you’d like to improve or do better, and then focus solely on them. After losing the weight by April, I felt so empowered that I used that energy to change other aspects in my life, which hadn’t been resolutions, complete one or two and you’ll have the same confidence to improve your life.
Spread the Word
On a personal note I found it massively beneficial to tell my family and my friendship circle about what I was doing. They were able to to provide with me help and support, and they also helped me to avoid cheating, as I knew that they’d get right at me if I did. If you have great friends and family then perhaps you can do the same.
