Did your New Year’s resolutions fall short this year? Don’t worry, you’re not alone — 52% of resolution-makers were confident they’d achieve them; however, only 12% felt as if they were successful. Don’t get caught up in this cycle of self-sabotage; here’s a plan to help you set yourself up to meet and even exceed your goals in 2017!
1. First, find out what’s really important.
Setting one or two realistic goals is more likely to result in success than having five resolutions hanging over your head. Stop what you’re doing right now, print out this
free New Year’s Resolutions planning worksheet printable and brainstorm a list of what you’d like to change or achieve in 2017. Now, narrow down the list by color coding like-minded goals. For example, “go to the gym”, “eat better” and “lose weight” all go together. Highlight them in green. Do the same for your other phrases, and I bet a few themes will start to emerge.
2. Narrow down your goals, and make them realistic and measurable.
See those pretty colors above? Use that list to create one to three overarching goals. For example, your health goals could turn into: “Maintain a healthy weight by losing 7 pounds and dropping one clothing size.” That’s a goal that’s both realistic AND can be measured — by next December, I’ll be able to see whether I’ve achieved it by stepping on the scale and checking my clothing labels.
3. Break it down into actionable steps.
Here’s where you come up with actual steps to reach that goal. Choose three that seem the most realistic. For my health goal, here are three action items to get there:
- Go to the gym three times a week.
- Switch out soda and juice for water.
- Meal plan each week with increased vegetables and protein in my diet.
Need some ideas? Here’s an example of
five easy action items for a healthier you this year.
4. Make TIME for your goals.
How are you going to get to the gym? Where can you find time to meal plan? Make appointments with yourself NOW. Set dates and add them to your calendar. Find a gym with babysitting if you have young kids. Carve out a night where you can sit down for an hour with your cookbooks and shopping list. But most importantly, stick to these dates — you can change them around, but don’t start skipping them!
4. Share your goals with the world.
When you put your goals out there in the universe, you are committing to them. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Find a partner who shares your goals (like a workout buddy or personal trainer).
- Start a pinboard on Pinterest with images that fit your goal. For me, it’s motivational messages, workout plans, and gym outfit ideas.
- Start an accountability group on Facebook to discuss goals with like-minded friends, and chat daily about ideas to achieve them — share successes and failures too.
There are 3 more tips waiting for you here. Read more and share them with your friends so your entire circle can be there best selves in 2017!
