It's true, most of us feel a little like the very fat, very stuffed turkey we ate for Christmas dinner following the holidays. You feel tired and lethargic, and the closest you get to exercise might just be standing up to find the remote so that you can turn the game on.
Check out the top 10 NYRs of 2012 according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute (statisticbrain.com):
1
| Lose Weight |
2
| Getting Organized |
3
| Spend Less, Save More |
4
| Enjoy Life to the Fullest |
5
| Staying Fit and Healthy |
6
| Learn Something Exciting |
7
| Quit Smoking |
8
| Help Others in Their Dreams |
9
| Fall in Love |
10
| Spend More Time with Family |
Do any of those look familiar? We feel it's safe to guess that New Year's Resolutions have a tendency to stay relatively the same year to year. Regardless of your personal NYR (New Year's Resolution, for anyone who didn't catch on to that), come April, we have long forgotten those goals and they are but a thing of the past. In fact, statisticbrain.com says that only around 8% of people who made resolutions in 2012 actually achieved them. In case you were wondering, that's not much.
What if this year was different for you? What if this year you could stick to your NYR? What if you really made it happen this time?
Here are three tips we have heard that are most likely, in our humble opinion, to help you succeed...
1. Set reasonable goals
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that losing 50 pounds, changing years-old habits, or completely reorganizing and prioritizing your life is not going to happen overnight. Be honest with yourself! The more realistic your goals are the more likely you are to achieve them! Essentially, you can set yourself up for failure by expecting too much, too soon. Frustration quickly edges in and that creep of a voice in your head determines, "I just can't do this. Maybe next year." DON'T let it get to that point!2. Set buffers in place that will help keep you accountable
Write your goals down, tell your family and friends about your goals, and get things in motion! The quicker you move forward toward a goal the harder it is to quit on yourself cold turkey. For instance, want to lose weight? Join a gym, hire a trainer, download an exercise or calorie counting app. Do something that sets things in motion, which puts your brain in the "no turning back now" mode!3. Plan for the longterm
Oh how easy it is to set a NYR for the "right now" moment. "Starting January 1st I am going to keep my house clean and organized!" So often we get in the mindset of setting goals that only go as far as "right now." Look to the future, and set your goals for a little longer term. Say, by July I will have organized every room in my house and will have developed a better house cleaning concept week to week that works for me. According to a study done by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania referenced in this New Year's Resolutions's article, 75% of people who set a NYR will still be working towards it a week after good ol' January 1, but that percentage quickly declines to only 46% after 6 months. If your mindset is in longterm results mode, not "let's do this now!" mode, you are more likely to see success.No matter the statistical percentages of those who actually achieve their goals, it is important to at least set some New Year's goals for yourself. According to Statistic Brain, "People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions."
So there you have it folks! If you haven't already, get cracking on your reasonable NYR for 2013.
HAPPY NEW YEAR from all of us at Amarillo Juniors!!!
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| Photo courtesy of G2 Class Blog* |
