5 Steps to Building a Solid New Year’s Resolution

Hey you! I’m gonna help you build a solid New Year’s resolution with these 5 steps. Yup!  Put your thinking caps; get your pen and paper.  Let’s get ‘er done so you can get on your way to achieving your goal this year.

Step 1 – Know What You Want!

What they heck do you really want?  Seriously thou, what is the single most important thing that you honestly would like to see happen by the end of this year?  The New Year’s resolution has to be meaningful to you. It has to live in your heart. You truly must desire it. If the resolution has no intrinsic meaning to you, then it will be hard to work towards. Pick one thing, not 10.  If your New Year’s resolution list is too long, it just feels like work instead of pleasure. We want this to be enjoyable, right?  Jot down a few ideas on paper and arrange them in order of what is most important to least important. Then think about each one using the next 4 steps.

Step 2 – Know What It Takes!

Analyze the shit out of your New Year’s resolution! Ask:  Is it realistic? Can it be achieved within the year? Can it be done with your current work and family schedule? Will your family and friends support you? Will it interrupt your life in such a way that it becomes very stressful? Is it manageable? Can it be broken up into smaller segments to eventually reach the end goal? In other words, is your New Year’s resolution logical to your current lifestyle?  You need to think deep about this one. Chat about it with your partner, or best friend, or someone who knows you well and understands what you have on your plate at this point in your life. Remember, this resolution has to be completed by the end of this year.  Make sure it’s something that you visualize in your future. Making a pros and cons list of your New Year’s resolution is also good idea. Have your partner give you some insight on that list. This is a great exercise to help you nail it down right from the start. Tip – don’t just visualize the goal. Try to imagine what the journey will be like to achieve it. Too often people fall in love with the idea of being a certain way but then hate the work it takes to get there. In order to achieve a goal, you must look forward to the journey.

Step 3 – Get Organized!

Get your ducks in a row!  Organization is key to your success! One reason why some people never get started on their New Year’s resolution is because they didn’t set themselves up to succeed from the beginning.  Sit back, take a look at your life, take a look at what you have going on right now, and jot down the things you need to do first to get this New Year’s resolution thing going.  For example, if joining a gym to lose weight is your goal, then research your options. What gym? How much? What do they offer? Can they help me achieve my goal? How? By the way, if you do plan to sign up to a gym, I highly suggest you read this article ‘Do Research Before Signing Gym Contracts, Government Warns.’  Getting locked into something that you hate will be a sure way to fail on your New Year’s resolution and set the year off to a bad start.

Step 4 – Get Attitude!

Develop some attitude! That’s right, get aggressive about achieving your New Year’s goal.  I don’t mean for you to put your “rawr” face on and beat up everyone that gets in your way. I mean for you to put your “rawr” face on and take charge, be determined, persevere, stay focused!  If you fall down on your way, bounce back up, dust yourself off, and keep moving forward.  To achieve a goal takes attitude! To overcome obstacles takes attitude! To push yourself takes attitude!  It’s also a great learning adventure.  It’s amazing what you can learn on the journey.  The work to achieve a goal, whether it be big or small, teaches you something new every time.  “Goal setting and getting” is character building!  The attitude you develop is a positive one.  Also, without even realizing it you will also be motivating and inspiring others who are watching you.  The whole experience is simply fantastic!

Step 5 – Make a Plan!

Make a freakin’ plan! Holy crapoly, if you don’t make a plan you’ll get lost for sure. Ya know that saying, “Fail to plan and you’ll plan to fail!” It’s true! You gots to have a plan, my friend. If you don’t know where to start, get someone to help you or hire a professional in the field (pick me, pick me).  But seriously, it’s worth it because you not only get a formal plan to guide you but also have someone that understands what your journey is and help you travel confidently with expert advice.  However, if you have all the skills and knowledge you need to design your own plan, then go for it. Do it!  Get your pen and paper and start brainstorming.  Map out a timeline with your New Year’s resolution broken down into smaller steps. Make notes, to do lists, steps to complete, and so on.  Whatever the plan looks like is up to you, but you absolutely 100% got to have a plan!

So there you have it – 5 steps to help you build a solid New Year’s resolution!  You’ll spend some time on completing these five steps and developing the plan but once that’s done, then you are ready to go! The right plan will have flexibility for unforeseen obstacles as well as jive with your lifestyle. You want to enjoy this journey and not feel like it’s another chore.

Think – write – prepare – GO!  If you need help, I’m here.

Happy New Year, my friend! Make your shit happen this year!