Here we are. End of 2021 and getting ready to spring into 2022.
While 2021 really just seemed like an extension of 2020, most people I speak with have a hopeful outlook for what 2022 will bring.
A big tradition of this time of year is setting new year’s resolutions and for too many these resolutions end up being a list of failures within the first 45-60 days of setting out to conquer them.
What if I told you there is a sure fire way to absolutely crush your resolutions with just 5 simple steps? Would you be interested in learning how you can become that better you, you always wanted to be?
If the answer is YES, then Great! Stick with me here for a few more minutes and you will be well on your way to a successful 2022.
The first step is to really narrow your focus down onto fewer things you want to accomplish. Trying to do too many is just setting yourself up for failure.
Make sure the things you are narrowing your list down to are important to you and will have a big impact on your life in some way measurable and significant.
Next Step is to take your time, and really evaluate deeply into the “WHY” you want to accomplish this task? Write down the answers to these questions …
Why do you want to accomplish this task?
What will change for you when you accomplish this task?
How will you feel when you accomplish this task?
How will people around you feel / look at you when you accomplish this task?
NEXT Is to determine what success actually is and how you will measure it.
To say I resolve to quit drinking is great and there are a lot of benefits to it as well. However, to think that it starts one day and you can never go back, well that is a recipe for a lot of stress and potential failure early on.
Instead, consider setting a timeline that has rewards. Making big changes like this work more like a wave washing up on the shore. It washes up and then retreats to wash up again.
So instead of just stopping drinking all together, I would set a goal to go 5 days without a drink and then a reward of some kind (could be a light night on the town with a drink or two).
Determine what the reward is in advance and set a hard limit to how much of it can be, especially if your reward is what you are attempting to move away from.
Doing it this way allows you to wean off and challenge yourself on a smaller scale each time.
NEXT Step is to plan to be an overachiever!
This is the one that makes all the difference for me.
During my planning, I set what Success would look like and then plan to overachieve significantly.
Everybody slips a bit over time. We are all gung ho in the beginning, but we will slide down over time. It is inevitable.
Instead of beating yourself up over this, plan to start out where your goal is to be a 7 out of 10. Then take action like you are shooting to be a 12 out of 10.
You will get better results right out the gate AND when you do start to fatigue, you are more comfortable with yourself because you know you are going to settle in and normalize at that 7 that you were planning for.
This trick really works great and keeps morale high for the long term.
And At Long Last…
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you crack. The fact that you are taking the time and effort to plan this out and really know what you want means you are already heads and shoulders over the masses out there who blindly blurt out their resolution at a late night party and break it before their feet hit the ground the next morning.
The best part about giving yourself permission to crack, is it allows you to acknowledge that you slipped up and evaluate why.
What made you slip?
How could you have avoided that ?
And most importantly, how are you going to get back on the horse?
Winning at resolutions is really a series of smaller battles that win the war.
I really hope this helps you hit your goals in 2022.
If you take up my system for crushing resolutions, please be sure to let me know well it worked for you.
Thanks
-Willow S. Wright