How to make resolutions that work

2009.jpgYou might think you’re making New Year’s Resolutions but are you really just compiling a wish list?

Did you make a well intentioned list of resolutions at the start of 2008 which have failed to bear fruit? Could you take last year’s list and simply change the 2008 on the top of the list to 2009?

How do you make resolutions that work? What’s the difference between New Year’s Resolutions and a wish list?

I’ve had an Amazon Wish List for quite some time. It’s a list of things I’d like, but simply listing those things doesn’t mean anything unless I, or someone else, decides to take action and buy someting from the list. The stuff on the list now is the same as the stuff that was there when I created it. Wishing doesn’t make it happen.

If I say that I want to lose weight in 2009 that’s a wish. If I set out a sensible weight loss strategy with achievable short and long term goals though the year it’s a resolution.

If I say I’d like to make family time more of a priority this year, it’s a wish. If I book time in my diary and plan to give up activities that would otherwise get in the way of that happening, that’s a resolution.

If I say I’d like to read more over the next twelve months, that’s a wish. If I select some books, create a reading plan and then move other activities out of the way to give me the time to read, that’s a resolution.

Resolutions need a concrete action plan with achievable, measurable goals. It can also be helpful to find someone who will keep you accountable to your goals. Maybe there’s someone with a similar goal or resolution who will work with you so that you can both achieve your plans. It might be someone who is already doing well in an area in which you’d like to improve. Ask them to help keep you moving towards your goal and to give you any advice you need to get there.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if we’re making lifestyle changes we’ll probably fail now and then. The aim is to keep going rather than just throwing in the towel the first time you trip up. Even if you don’t reach your goals at the set time, you’ll still be further down the track if you get up after a setback, dust yourself off, and start moving in the right direction again.

If you are going to see 2009 as an opportunity for change you might like to break down your resolutions into various categories such as Health and Fitness, Spirituality, Family and Relationships, Finance, Career and other areas that touch your life.

Who do you want to be on the first of January 2010? What will you do during 2009 to make that a reality?

As 2008 draws to a close, are you going to make resolutions or a wish list for 2009?



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How was your year?

What have you been doing all year?

As you look back over the past twelve months, what are the highlights and the lowlights of your year? As we face the last hours of 2008 are there any big accomplishments you can recount?

Did you reach any major, or even minor, goals throughout 2008?

Sometimes we can wonder what we achieved through a particular year so now’s a good time to put it down in writing. If you’re a blogger, why not go back over the months and note down some of the milestones you’ve blogged along the way?

Will you remember 2008 as a good or bad year? What are you doing to ensure that 2009 is a better year?



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I wonder

In all the busyness of this time of year have you managed to set time aside to draft out a few New Year’s resolutions?

Maybe you’ll get some time over the next couple of days. I’m hoping to get something together before Thursday.

While many people don’t believe in such things I reckon that any time we can sit down and take stock of our lives and make plans for the time ahead is time well spent.

Of course there are all the usual resolutions that people make about losing weight, getting fitter, quitting smoking, reducing debt and all the rest but I wonder what 2009 would look like if we made resolutions and goals about improving relationships with those close to us and then asked those people, or others, for help in staying accountable to those goals.

I wonder how things would be if we made resolutions about helping those we may not even know but who need a hand up.

How would 2009 shape up if we determined that family was more important than the demands of work and then structured our schedules accordingly?

What would it be like if we decided that 2009 was the year that we would look beyond the physical and material things of this world to discover deeper spiritual meaning?

I wonder.



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Positive peer pressure

cyclists.jpgWhenever we hear the term ‘peer pressure’ we tend to think of it in a negative sense but peer pressure can be just as much a force for good. I experienced some positive peer pressure a couple of mornings ago.

I really didn’t feel like getting up early but I knew that a friend of mine was waiting around the corner ready to go for a ride. I dragged myself out of bed and got organised before grabbing my bike and cycling off into the sunrise. We managed to fit in around 37 kilometres before work as opposed to my normal 6 kilometers. Amazing how much more energized I felt starting the day.

What is it about having someone else involved that helps us to take the steps we know we need to take?

I love riding and the extra kilometres before work always help me feel better about the day but getting out of bed early enough can be a struggle. I wonder what other areas of my life would benefit from having someone keeping me accountable to my goals.

Have you seen the benefits of positive peer pressure? Do you have people who help keep you on target in different areas of life? How has it helped you?



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