Five Top Tips To Help You Nail Your New Year Resolutions 2021
I really want you to plan ahead and get it right this year so I’m going to jump right in to hep you nail your ‘New Year Resolutions 2021’.
- Don’t set yourself up for failure
This is the most important thing. Above everything else you need to be REALISTIC about what you can achieve. We all want instant super fast changes and results, but the first key to success is being realistic with what you CAN and WILL do a few weeks down the line. Remember that “future you” has to fulfil the promises that “current you” makes and future you often doesn’t share your motivation, enthusiasm or energy. Start small – smaller than you think you should.
- Stick to one thing only
I guarantee you are setting yourself up to fail if you try to change everything all at once. So if you want to take up exercise, and give up smoking, and change your diet and get a new job …. well that simply isn’t going to work…. Ever! Research shows that you have a much MUCH greater chance of success if you just focus on changing 1 thing at a time. It’s simply not possible to become a different person overnight. So pick on thing and then stick to it. KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING.
- Get Clarity
In order to maximise your chances of success you need to get super clear on the specifics. So what will you be doing? When? Where? Who with? For how long? Then put it in your diary.
- Make it Enjoyable
Nothing ever becomes a habit if you don’t enjoy doing it and if it doesn’t become a habit then there’s no point in doing it because as soon as you stop doing it, you will start to lose the benefits and you’ll lose confidence in yourself too. So no matter what you choose to do, find a way to make it enjoyable. For example if you hate running, try walking or dancing. Also if you can add something pleasant to the activity like listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks or doing it with a friend then again it’s far more likely to stick. A walk, ten minutes of stretching or following an online exercise programme for beginners, would all be good examples of places to start with exercise.
If whatever you choose to do feels like an absolute chore I promise it won’t be long before you give up.
- Never rely on motivation
This is HUGE! Most people rely on motivation to do the things that would benefit them in their personal life. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: “Big Mistake, HUGE MISTAKE!” Motivation rarely shows up when you need it and therefore it’s vastly over rated! Forming a habit is what will see you through to make lasting change.
The most significant advice I can give you about forming a habit is that you have to do it even when you don’t feel like it. This requires self discipline, not motivation. For things to become easy they need to become unconscious (a habit) and for that they need frequent repetition. So set a minimum standard. IE – I will do _________, ________ number of times a week wether I feel like it or not. Then hold yourself to that!
For more on this concept click here and here to watch my 2 videos on motivation.
I hope you’ve found this blog post useful. Follow the advice I’ve given here and I’d be EXTREMELY confident you will succeed.
Good luck and get in touch if you think you’d benefit from life coaching to help you make lasting change happen in your life.
