The end of the year is a perfect to take some time to think about what we would like to accomplish over the next 12 months. Almost everyone sets a New Year’s Resolution every year, but not many of those succeed in reaching their goals. Here are a few tips to help make sure that you are able to accomplish all of your goals in the coming year.
First, make sure that you set a specific goal. Don’t make your goal generic, like “I want to lose weight,” or “I want to exercise more.” These goals are just too general. You are more likely to reach your goal if it is specific and measureable. Instead, put an amount on the number of pounds you would like to lose, or the number of times you’d like to exercise each week. This makes it easier to keep track of how close you are to reaching your goal.
You also need to make sure your goal is realistic. One of my personal goals for this year is for me to break my personal best 5k time. It simply wouldn’t be realistic for me to set my goal to run the race at a 5 minute mile pace. Setting an unrealistic goal, makes you more likely to give up, because you know you won’t reach it.
It is also helpful to put a time frame on your goal. By putting a date by which you’d like to meet your goal, you are less likely to put off getting started towards it. It is also helpful to break larger goals into smaller parts, so that you can shorten your time frame and check each off as you reach it.
Finally, be sure to write your goals down. Post it somewhere that you will be sure to see it every day. Use this as a daily reminder to track your progress. This will also help make sure that you never lose sight of what you want to accomplish.
Hopefully these tips will help you achieve whatever you are striving to reach in 2015. What are your goals for the new year?