Yet another new year is upon us. Wow. They just seem to fly by, don't they? How many times have you told yourself "this year is going to be different!" Only to lose your drive, motivation, and focus a few weeks (or even days) into the new year. Why does this happen dammit!!? If your intentions are good, why don't your resolutions "stick?" The answer is pretty simple...
Most people have resolutions like "I want to get in shape" or "I want to make more money." In fact, these are the two standard resolutions, at least for Americans. The reason they don't work is because they aren't specific enough, and they only convey a general sense of wanting and wishing. If you want to make a resolution "stick," or any goal for that matter, you have to phrase it in a way that your mind, body, and soul can get behind it. Otherwise you're just one of the herd--wanting, wishing, and hoping for the new you that never comes.
The first thing you need for any resolution is a numerical goal. This gives your mind a target to focus on. For example, instead of saying "I want to get in shape," set a numerical goal for yourself, like losing 20 lbs. The next thing you need is a goal date, so your mind not only has a target but a deadline to reach it. Next, you want to phrase it in a way that excites and empowers you, so you have the motivation to complete it. Finally, and this is very important, you
need to write it down daily so it is a constant reminder of your intentions. So, if you "want to get in shape," your daily written resolution might look something like this:
"I am losing 20 lbs by March 31st 2012 because getting in shape feels phenomenal!"
Gets the blood pumping a little more than mindlessly mumbling to yourself "I wanna get in shape," doesn't it? You'll notice that I said I am losing weight rather than I want to lose weight. This implies that you've already begun to achieve the goal (which is true, if you're stating it) instead of just wanting it to happen. It's also good to use a big word like phenomenal that conjurs up some emotion. After all, that's why you want to get in shape in the first place--to feel PHENOMENAL!!
The same goes for making more money. The first thing you have to decide is "how much more do I want?" I know, I know, a million dollars by next week would be nice, but you have to set a goal that you believe is truly possible. If a million dollars by next week is possible, then by all means, go for it! But if you're in the 99% that don't make a million dollars a week (like me), this might be unrealistic. A good goal is something that stretches you, but something that you truly believe is possible. Is 30% more too much? How bout 20%? Let's take it one step at a time and try 10%. Can you imagine making 10% more money? Most people can, and most people would LOVE to make 10% more than they are making right now. So you're goal might read something like this:
"I am making 10% more income by March 31st and I'm ecstatic to have more money!"
I'm no mathematician, but if you keep me making 10% more income every quarter you are going to be in great shape by the end of the year. In fact, by making 10% more each quarter you will make over 33% more at the end of the year than what you originally started with! This is a great example of how taking small steps will inevitably lead to huge results. Could you use 33% more income this year!?
All of us want to improve our lives. If you didn't, you certainly wouldn't have read this much of my blog. But if you're one of those people that don't know what areas to focus on or where to start, I have little rule that I use called "The S.H.I.F.T. Rule." The acronym SHIFT stands for Spirit, Health, Intellect, Finance, and Teamwork--the 5 most important areas of your life. By setting goals in these 5 areas and giving them daily attention, you are much more likely to wake up excited to live with a sense of purpose and accomplishment. We've already taken care of "Health" and "Finance" in this blog by setting a goal, a deadline date, and writing down an intention to make them happen. Now all you have to do is write down goals in the other areas and you're all set!
In my next blog I will go over "The SHIFT Rule" in more detail. I'll share some tips that make the whole process of goal setting easy and fun. I don't know about you, but if something is fun I am much more likely to do it. New Years resolutions shouldn't be drudgery or something we dread, they should be something that inspires and empowers us. I want to see you at this time next year, having accomplished all of your goals and creating new ones that you never thought possible. If you take one step at a time and just keep going you will eventually get to where you wanna be. I believe that 2012 is the year all of your resolutions will finally stick!
