Almost a month ago, I resolved to keep this blog as fresh as a new-born babe. Then I was offered to ghostwrite a business school blog and, pfffftt, my resolution vanished as fast as I could make it.
A few days from now, we will greet a new year. As always, people, like me, will be driven to a frenzy making resolutions, vowing to turn a leaf as new as the coming year.
A few will give their darndest to live out their resolutions while most will forget it before Valentine’s Day.
Old habits die hard and a few lines of desires are not enough to kill it. It needs a steam roller.
But if you must turn a new leaf and really want to make it stick, this formula is going to help you do just that.
1. Have a realistic goal:
By realistic, I mean something that you can do, with a little bit of pain, perhaps. It must be specific and doable.
“To lose weight” is not specific, even if it is doable.
“To lose 10 pounds within two months from now,” is specific and doable if you suffer a little bit in your calorie intake and exercise a lot.
And pick only one. Don’t cheat yourself by having a fallback position.
2. Do it now:
Procrastination is the nemesis of a good many intentions. If you want to do it, start now.
Settle yourself in a quiet place, and think of the things you want to change in your life the coming year.
Pick one, write it down and start planning on how to accomplish it. Put in milestones so you can track your progress.
3. Start small:
Don’t choke yourself to death by biting more than you can chew. Consider having a resolution as a marathon, not a hundred-meter dash.
Go easy. Do the small things first, going to the bigger and more difficult tasks in your plan.
4. Don’t make a re-run of past resolutions:
People have the habit of re-running past resolutions. If you did not do that well enough last year, there’s no reason you can do better this year.
If you must do a similar thing, give it a little twist. Rectify those things you had difficulty or missed doing
5. Change does not happen overnight:
A habit is an act done over and over again. It may start as something uncomfortable. But if done repeatedly, you will soon learn to embrace it. It will become a part of you.
This process applies to both good and bad habits. It takes time to set in and take roots. If you want it badly enough, it will come. Just give it time.
6. Get up when you fall down:
Nothing can be worse than staying down when you fall. And you will fall down, repeatedly. Remember, you can never lose if you don’t quit.
So keep your momentum up. The best boxers are those who throw the most punches. Pretty soon, one of them, a haymaker, will find its mark resulting to a knock-out.
7. Get support from family and friends:
Think of pursuing a resolution as a journey. You can either go the entire distance alone or have your family and friends to cheer you all the way.
Which of the two scenarios will get you there more successfully?
Of course, there are times they may discourage you, deride you, cause you to fall.
Talk to them and let them know that you need their support, not their ridicule.
Good luck! You need tons of it.
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