By Life Coach, Amanda Martin
As the new year is upon us, so is the
daunting feeling for many that we need to make some resolutions to start the
year off right. Whether that means a
lifestyle change through nutrition and exercise or a change in your career or
at home, or perhaps something as simple as remembering to floss your teeth
every day, whatever your desire for self-improvement, it is inspiring to want
to live your best life.
Oxford
Dictionaries defines a resolution as a firm decision to do or not to do
something. So you have decided to “make
a firm decision to do or not to do something”, now what? Making the decision is only the first
step.
Your success or failure to
accomplish your goal will hinge on your ability to plan for it. A quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery comes
to mind, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
A plan is necessary to put in place so that
when your motivation inevitably starts to lag after a few months, or for some a
few days, you will know exactly what you need to do to keep on track for
success.
Something I have found helpful
in taking off the burden or the weight of accomplishing a goal, because let’s
face it, goals can be daunting whether we want to achieve them or not, is to
visualize. Before making your plan, take
a moment to visualize yourself achieving your goal. What does it feel like? Where do you see yourself? What are people saying about your
success? What does accomplishing what
you set out to do look like? The feeling
is likely a good one, one of contentment, happiness, or satisfaction. Who wouldn’t want to plan for that?
The key to getting to that place of
satisfaction is ensuring that your plan includes specific actions you will
take, for example, if you are trying to eat healthier, you may decide an action
toward this is to keep the junk food out of the house. One step further might be to shop only around
the outside of the grocery store to avoid processed foods or unhealthier food
options. Break it down into easy and
manageable steps that will allow you to have success along the path to your end
goal. This way, the positive momentum
will keep your wavering motivation in tact along the path to your target.
So simple, right? But wait.
Let’s be realistic. We all know
how life gets in the way of letting us do the things we have the best intentions
of doing. That donut that calls our name
and beckons ‘Eat me! Eat me! or that
extra hit on the snooze button that makes us miss our workout. That is why it is imperative to plan for the
obstacles as well.
Figuring out what could get in the way of your success is
just as important as planning for your success.
Using the same example of eating healthier, let’s assume you’re at work
and having a lunch meeting where the food is being provided. You don’t have control over the food choices
in this situation. Not everyone chooses
to eat healthy.
Perhaps in this
circumstance you could either plan ahead to bring your own lunch or if that
feels uncomfortable to you, your solution may simply boil down to portion
control. Either way, you will know what
to do when that obstacle arises.
Lastly, be kind to yourself. We will likely slip at some point and time
and it is possible we may make a mistake.
We are human after all. This
doesn’t mean we have failed; it means we made a temporary pit stop along the
way and need to gas up, clean off the windshield, and once again hit the road
and move forward. Remember your vision
and return to your plan.
Align your
actions with your intentions. To quote
wise moms everywhere, “you CAN do ANYTHING you set your mind to!”
Amanda Martin – Life Coach
Certified Coach Practioner
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