Never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.” ~Germany Kent~
2020
So the new year is finally here. Have you made your resolutions? Do you believe in making new years’ resolutions? Do you make them and half way through the month you can’t be bothered or you are one to push through to the very end? How far do you go into these resolutions making things or are you like me and you just entertain the thought of making one but just never bothered to do anything about it. Not good. Don’t be like me. I don’t know how new years’ resolutions started but I will guess because it’s the beginning of a new year, people see it as the beginning of change for things they need to modify or get rid of completely. Whatever the reason is why you made this resolution, there are obviously some things that you want to change and it’s important that you see it through.
Vision
Nothing is more disappointing than knowing that you want an aspect of your life to change and you failed to do so. And I know life gets hard, things happen and then we drop out but you must learn to see things through because there was a reason why you started in the first place and if that reason is strong enough, you will see whatever it is that you are working on through to the end. Because I know we are humans and we lose motivation from time to time and because I want you to complete those resolutions here are 6 kick-ass tips that will help you get started and stick to your goals. By the way, I will be making a few resolutions this year. After all, I got that 2020 vision.
1. Just Start
Don’t entertain the idea in your head. Nothing will happen this way. Sometimes we come up with great ways of doing things but somehow we feel that imagining it alone can bring it to life. It wont and you won’t see results this way. In order to start you have to want this to happen. And moreover, you will just be depressed because once again you’ve let yourself down. To begin a thousand miles, you have to take the first step. So just start. You don’t have to have everything. If you want to lose weight (the most common resolution) sign up for the gym. When people start paying for things, they are more likely to follow through. Not interested in the gym? Start taking extra steps at work, at home to trigger your mind into losing weight. Remember though that we are what we eat. Read “eat well, live well” for more. I am by no means a dietician but because I have been slim all my life, and have consciously stayed away from unhealthy foods most of the time, I can attest that eating well is conducive to maintaining a healthy weight
Because I do eat unhealthy at times, I have also discovered ways to combat the detrimental effect it can have on the body. I will write a blog on the things I do to maintain my weight in a later post. From all this, I can tell you that eating well is conducive to shedding a few of those Christmas pounds and maintaining a healthy body weight. Eating healthy can be so hard but even if you start with researching healthy alternatives to what you are currently consuming, that’s a start. Keep in mind that everything we do is in our minds; our minds control us. Think you can’t and you won’t. Think you can and you will. So you know what, just start. Things will work itself out and you will find a way. Whatever it is that you have decided to work on, always keep in mind the reason why you want to accomplish it. If the why is strong the how will keep up.
2. The 21 Days Rule
Once you have started, do it for a minimum of 21 days straight. According to cognitive science, it takes a minimum of 21 days for your brain to form a new habit. Don’t stop there though, keep going, you have to cement that habit. I have done this and after 21 days have passed, I find that it’s hard for me to stop what I’m doing. I feel some sort of guilt when I do. Make sure you are capable of doing whatever it is you are trying to form a habit of. For example, if you know you can only lose 5 pounds per week, don’t set it to 20. A habit will form only if you are capable of doing it. If after the first week you haven’t lost 20 pounds, you will want to give up. Progress motivates us but unrealistic expectation can result in disappointment. The purpose of every habit is to confront and resolve some type of issue. If the desire to resolve that issue is strong, you will end up with the results you envisioned.
3. Tell A Few People
Don’t just keep it to yourself. Tell some trusted family members and close friends that you respect. You don’t want to tell everyone because let’s face it, not everyone wants to see you do well. Read “true colours” to sift out those unscrupulous friends. Here’s why you should let others know. People are more likely to follow through with something when they know someone is expecting them to finish it. Your friends and family are going to question your progress. They will want to know how you’re doing and by all means you should update them because they are now apart of your journey. By virtue of the the fact that someone wants to know, you will be more likely to complete the task. It kinds of hold you accountable. So make sure you let your trusted but inquisitive friends and family know.
4. Make Realistic Goals
Goals must be attainable
Make sure your goal is realistic. 20 pounds a week would be awesome, depending on the amount of weight you want to lose, one week might even be enough. But as I stated previously, for a habit to form, you have to be capable of doing whatever it is you are attempting to make a habit. So make realistic goals. If you can only work out three times a week, then work out three times. Especially because you are just starting out, you have to take it easy. Now it’s good to push yourself but often people wont push themselves if there is no progress. Set attainable goals, start with three days then when you get a hang of it, you can increase it to 4 days then 5 and so on
Goals must be your own
Don’t watch others. Sometimes we lose track of what we are doing because we are busy watching others. Do what YOU can do, not what others can do. Focus on your goals and don’t become depress or demotivated because your progress is not holding up with someone else’s. Remember too that your goals should be your own, you need to want to do this because you want to do it, not because someone is doing it or wants you to do it. Be real with yourself. Give yourself a good amount of time. Remember the first one is to start. 2020 will come and it will pass so don’t waste time. just START. Finally, I cannot stress this anymore – DON’T WATCH OTHERS. Stay in your lane, go at your own pace, just don’t stop. You will get there.
5. Create A Vision Board
A vision board is a constant reminder of the goals you have set for yourself. Be sure to put it in a place where you can see it everyday. And don’t underestimate the vision board. It’s a powerful tool to help you reach your goals. It works by giving you a constant reminder of what you hold dear. Everything starts with our imagination and visualization of things. And according to the law of attraction when you visualize something you are emitting a powerful frequency into the universe. And somehow, this makes you want to do the things that will help you realize your goals
Similarly, the same part of the brain that is activated when you visualize doing something is the same area that is activated when you are actually doing it. So when you visualize yourself doing something or having something, the brain trains your body for that reality. It’s no wonder when we want something badly we constantly think about it and somehow we muster up the energy and motivation to start working on it. So get your vision board started and make sure whatever you put on it is realistic. Don’t just make your vision board and stare at it each day. Instead, start taking small steps that will make you actualize and realize whatever is on it.
6. Reward Yourself
If you make realistic goals, you will definitely see progress. Progress makes people happy and by all means you should reward yourself. Also when you are trying to form a habit, it can be so draining and throughout the process you can become so unmotivated and want to give up. So to keep yourself from falling off track it is imperative that you reward yourself. For example, if your goal is to lose five pounds each week and after two weeks you’ve succeeded at it, then maybe you could reward yourself by going to nice restaurant, albeit one that serves up healthy options. Rewards satisfy us and it teaches us, so it’s important that you reward yourself for your progress. Progress is also a reminder that we must keep going. So don’t stop.
So never underestimate the power you have to take your life in a new direction.I hope theses tips help you to acquire your 2020 visions. Good luck! You got this! I wish you all a very prosperous, healthy and happy 2020. Until next time peeps, keep calm and blog on.
This is really good
Very good article. I really like the tip to tell a few friends and create the vision board. i have never created a vision board but it’s something that I am going to do. I can really see how it will help. I will definitely tell my grandmother LOL, she is always asking about what we are doing. nice article.
ps…I’m looking forward to the article on how you stay slim
Thank you Serena and Dorothy. I really appreciate your kinds word. I do hope these tip help. And yes, I will be writing that article soon. All the best with your new years goals!
I’m going to agree with Dorothy, telling a few ppl will get you off your butt. Cause as you say they are going to want you to update them. It really does keep you accountable and also when ppl see that you actually stick to your guns, they trust and respect you more too….Great blogs. Nice site.