The initial jump into the New Year is the easy part. Keeping going as the year progresses can be the challenge.
The start of the New Year is often a time for people to pledge changes, resolutions, and make commitments for the coming year. It is seen as a time to change for the better, and move on from previous mistakes and pitfalls.
We do not have to wait for the year to roll over to make changes in our lives, to commit to be better, healthier, stronger, better organized, etc. However, as it IS an iconic time of change and so it can be a great time to feed on the social hype and optimism to try and go out there and make those changes.
That being said, the catch to that is also not getting sucked into the drag when people’s enthusiasm wanes, their initial momentum runs out, and they give up, rather than digging in their heels and REALLY making that effort to get past the first hump and keep going.
This, then, would be your challenge; to find your own motivation and drive to keep going as the social enthusiasm dies down. By the time others are slowing down and getting ready to give up on their resolutions, you need to be ready to kick it up a notch and really be ready to achieve the goals you set for yourself.
The other thing you have to remember is: your goals have to be realistic to be any good. Many people get so caught in the hype of New Year Resolutions and ‘New Year, New Me’ type mindsets, that they create goals that they cannot achieve. Wanting to lose weight this year is great! Wanting to lose 100 lbs in 2 weeks…that could be problematic. The example is drastic, but the point is valid.
If you are setting a large goal for the year, it is important to set milestone goals. It can be easy to lose focus and motivation when working towards a large, long-term goal. Milestone goals are smaller goals to achieve along the way to mark your progress. They are smaller successes within the large picture, to help keep you motivated, and on track.
This can be a wonderful time to buckle down and make the changes you have wanted to make, to set those goals you always said you were going to accomplish one day. You just have to choose the goals, set the milestones, and be prepared for the days when it seems hard, or even impossible. You can get past them. And remember! Just because you slip up, or hit a rough patch, doesn’t mean you have to give up completely or write it off ‘until next year’. Pick yourself up, dust off the frustration and get right back to it! You can do it, you just have to be willing to work for it.