I know… New Year’s Resolutions are so cliché. But if you think about it, it’s really the perfect time to reflect and make changes. Not only do you have a clean slate for the new year, but you can look back on the previous year as a whole.
Being able to look back at a full year’s worth of mistakes, challenges, and growth allows you to take a deep dive into your life. Maybe you realize what went wrong last year, or maybe you saw the benefit of a habit that occasionally made its’ way into your routine, or maybe you realized you didn’t do any of the “things you said you would”. Either way, it’s important to take time every once in a while to reflect and see where you can make improvements.
Motivation is also at its peak in January. You had fun during the holidays (and probably ate or drank too much) so now you’re ready to commit to yourself and your health! Though motivation is one of the worst things to rely on for achieving a goal, it’s a great tool for creating goals and getting started. That’s why I created this guide – you may have the motivation, but if you don’t create a plan, your goals will become one of those “things you said you would do” because, in reality, 70% of people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolutions.
In this guide, I’ll help you decide on the perfect goal and I’ll give you three tools to ensure you succeed. And I’ve even included worksheets to simplify the process. Let’s get started!
First, we have to decide on the goal. We’ll use the Wheel of Life to determine what you can do to make your life more balanced. Think about the 8 life categories below, and rate them from 1 – 10. Shade them in based on their rating.
For each of the categories below, reflect and write down things you are doing well and where you need improvement. Then based on your Wheel of Life and reflections, create goals for the areas you decide need it most. Your goal doesn’t necessarily have to fall into the category with the lowest rating, but it will probably have the biggest impact on your overall wellness. You can also choose to focus on the category that most resonates with you. This is just a rough idea of your goals, we will fine-tune them in the next step.
If you can, try to choose one goal to focus on because it will improve your likelihood of succeeding. Taking the time to write down your goal is important because you are 42% more likely to achieve it! It literally encodes it into your brain. For this, we will use SMART goals and I know what you’re thinking… another cliché. But, there’s a reason it’s talked about so much – it works! SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound and it’s a comprehensive way to create your goals.
Now that we’ve decided on a goal, let’s talk about the three tools to help you achieve this goal!
Addressing Barriers:
There are going to be things that will come up and derail your progress or maybe even make you question your goal – these are your barriers. We’re going to think 10 steps ahead and create a plan for when these barriers come up. Make a list of all the potential barriers that may prevent you from achieving your goal. Create 3 solutions to these problems.
Hack Your Motivation
Your motivation tends to be very high at the start and end of your goal but diminishes somewhere in the middle. To avoid a long period of no motivation if you have any year-long goals you’ll want to break them down into short, achievable goals. You can do this by breaking it up into monthly or quarterly goals. And once complete you can re-visit the long-term goal and decide what’s the next step. Plus, you’ll get a nice rush of dopamine from accomplishing your smaller goal.
Don’t Tell People Your Goal
Contrary to popular belief, the “accountability” aspect of telling friends and family your goal is actually false. Hearing praise from our loved ones gives us a false sense of achievement, which can make us feel like we don’t actually need to achieve the goal. Now, this isn’t to say keep it top secret – there are some people you’ll benefit from telling, like your trainer, they’ll hold you accountable.
Take your time with each step and implement the tools I provided. And once you’ve created a surefire plan, it’s time to take action. I wish you well on your journey to a happier and healthier you and a Happy New Year!
Looking for a personal trainer in Ottawa? Start your fitness journey with our expert trainers! Unlock your potential with personalized workouts tailored to your goals. Grab our exclusive 8-session intro offer for just $96 and kickstart your transformation today! #OttawaFitness #PersonalTraining
Claim offer here: https://freeformfitness.ca/consultation/
