Maybe it’s just me. As I’m thinking about my New Year’s resolutions, I’m thinking differently this year. I want to make them more interesting, more intentional, and diverse. I’ve decided to do something akin to Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project or LifeBook’s goal setting. I’m going to plan things month-by-month.
I’m going to brainstorm areas I’d like to work on. We all have some things we’d like to do differently right? I think in January, I’m going to focus on health. You’ve may have seen my blog about sticking with goals that are good for you. I’m human. I don’t stick 100% of the time with those goals, but I’m feeling ready to get back on track. I need to re-visit health as my body is not feeling great after all the Christmas time food and drink I don’t normally have.
I’m thinking about my diet, home cooking, and fitness. On the one hand, I could really get a handle on them by developing smart goals:
You may have heard of smart goals. Smart goals are:
Suppose I decide, “I want to home-cook all my meals in January.” It’s specific. It’s easily measurable–either I do or I don’t–it’s action oriented, it’s potentially realistic as long as I plan well, and it has a time-line–January. For lots of people, setting goals like this helps us develop a really good plan. I’m going to do it!
I’m also thinking about inspiration and vision. I have a pretty good idea that February is going to be about having fun and playing. I’m going to create a collage of what I want fun and play to look like and put it somewhere I’ll see it every day. I want to be inspired! That’s going to get my fun juices flowing!
“Enthusiasm is excitment with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.”
~Bo Bennett
I also really get a lot of motivation from quotes. They help give me a jumpstart or help solidify my determination.
Having some variety, some things I’ll really focus on for a month to get them established and adding on something else the following month, is going to help me keep motivated. I love variety, challenge, and having something to look forward to. That’s going to help my New Year’s resolutions last.
And you? What’s going to help you create and act upon your New Year’s resolutions so that they do last? Does creating smart goals help? How about a collage or a some sort of tangible picture of your goals? What about using inspiring quotes? Does having 30 day goals work for you or would it be better to focus on a small number for the year? I’d love to hear your comments!!
