With a new year upon us, you might be thinking about some resolutions you didn’t get to last year. We all know it’s not easy to achieve big goals in life, but most failure doesn’t come from a lack of trying, it comes from a lack of planning. Here are six tips to help you stick to your goals this month or any time of the year!
No, this doesn’t mean just writing it down, but that’s a good start! A goal will seem much more significant if you put more thought into it and design a vision board on paper or your computer. Pinterest also works great for this! Use pictures or motivational phrases to surround your goal and refer to it daily to keep those images in your head.
Think about not just what your goal is, but why you have the goal. Maybe you want to get healthy to be able to keep up with your kids, or you simply want to drink more water to feel better. We always do more to achieve things that are deeply meaningful to us, so dig deep and think about what you really want to accomplish.
Ultimately, this is the most important step. A goal needs to be specific, achievable, and have a timeline. When you describe a goal in detail, it becomes real and less abstract. You should also find goals that are big, but not impossible to achieve. Don’t be afraid to break down a big goal into a series of small goals. For example, if you want to lose 30 pounds in a year, break that into a smaller number you can work toward each month. Get out that calendar (paper or electronic) and start circling those dates!
When your goal is on a timeline, it’s easier to measure your success. Even small wins along the way can motivate and push you to the finish line. Also, if you find that you aren’t making progress toward your goal, simply readjust your approach instead of giving up completely.
Make yourself accountable to your friends and family. Join online fitness groups who share similar interests. Whatever it is, find your support group. It will help you feel obligated to follow through with your goal.
Once you commit to a goal, make a plan, and tell the world, it’s time to get organized. What do you need to succeed? It can be hard to conquer a big goal all by yourself, so don’t be afraid to get the resources you need (like an iFit membership), because a little investment can pay off tenfold.
Don’t wait to set your next goal because as cliché as it sounds, it really is possible to achieve anything if you put your mind to it.
