NYE Resolutions – Make It or Break It

Everyone is talking about resolutions as the year draws to a close. It’s inevitable. We all want the promise of a better tomorrow. The hope of change that could change your life.

I just hope that I can remember to take it one day at a time. I am not going to beat myself up if the resolutions I make just don’t take and I fail to make it until this time next year with check marks on the list.

Five years ago Forbes published an article that only 8% of people actually accomplish their resolutions. Only 25% make it past the 30 day mark. That sounds pretty legit.

This afternoon, they really dialed it in and just regurgitated the same numbers today. No matter. The point is to set GOALS and not these flimsy promises to do something real vague. That’s a sure fire way to set yourself up for failure. No wonder 75% never make it past January. So its not that we shouldn’t make resolutions. It’s that we have to set them up the right way.

So the first step is to come up with a list of your resolutions. Be realistic with yourself. You’re not going from zero to hero tomorrow so have a real talk with yourself about what you can realistically achieve. Write down your list. Here’s mine:

• cook more meals at home
• eat less fast food
• drink more tea
• yoga
• write in my journal (preferably with my fountain pens)

Then take that list and give these abstract dreams dates – due dates by when these things should be achieved. Or specific scheduled dates/days when these will be accomplished.

• cook a meal at home every Monday
• eat fast food only 1 time a week
• drink tea 7 days a week
• do 30 minutes of Yoga every Wednesday
• write in my journal with a fountain pen every other day

Then give this list steps so that they can be achieved. Write yourself step by step instructions if you have to. PQS the shit. Whatever it takes!

• shop on Sunday for the items that I will use to cook at home on Monday (prep on Sunday if needed)
• fast food is only allowed on Sunday to compensate for grocery shopping
• make sure the kettle is filled every night so all I have to do is turn it on in the morning to have tea everyday
• have everything ready on Tuesday night for Yoga the next day – including finding a video on YouTube to follow or just music
• have my pens filled with ink ready to go so I can get right to writing every other day

Breaking it down like this surely makes these “resolutions” more doable. Now I have the makings of a plan I can put into ACTION – which is the final step.

The PLAN is to start these tomorrow on Jan 1. So I know what I have to do tonight. I’m already on a roll. I did, in fact, cook dinner tonight with groceries I bought yesterday! So YAY me.