We are approaching another new year!!! Wow, 2013 seemed to have passed us by rather quickly. What happened to our 2013 New Year's Resolution? Is it time to make another one yet again?! YIKES!
Okay, before you go crazy about this, rest assured that you're not the only one who failed to follow your New Year's resolution. Statistics show that most people who do put out a New Year's Resolution end up forgetting about them by the middle of the year. People just don't have the same motivation that they started the new year out with.
When it comes to these New Year Resolutions, though, most people write down a list that involves resolutions for a better HEALTH. Guess what the #1 undefeated New Year's resolution is... People want to LOSE WEIGHT!
That's right. The Top 1 Resolution for 2014 is actually losing weight! And this has been the same last year and the year before that, as well as the years before that! It seems like people KNOW they want to get to a better state of health by losing weight, but majority of those who do want it simply cannot achieve what they want to do for their health in the new year.
What exactly is wrong with New Year resolutions? Why is it that more than half of those who make them ALWAYS fail to keep at it in the new year? Well, here are some reasons listed around the web:
1. New Year resolutions are often simply just a LIST of declarations and intentions of what one thinks one should do in the coming year. Resolutions usually don't include a PLAN OF ACTION in it.
2. No motivation and commitment because of a lack of ACCOUNTABILITY and SUPPORT.
3. Most resolutions are driven by hype rather than a real "Why" factor.
4. No action, simply because there was not a clear solution to the problem that one thinks one should deal with.
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Does all this mean we simply must forget about setting goals for the New Year, then? That we might as well NOT think about the things we should do in the coming year? OF COURSE, NOT!
We are just simply looking into this to identify WHERE we can properly approach our New Year resolutions and HOW we can approach them that will make us ACCOMPLISH something in 2014.
So what's one got to do? Simply keep these thoughts in mind...
1. Don't simply make a list of intentions. ADD A PLAN OF ACTION. If you want to "lose weight" in the New Year, add a plan of action to it. What are you going to do to start losing weight? Are you going to cut back on sugar, quit pop, start exercising on Mondays? Or are you going to get on a diet program? Which program? (By the way, watch this before starting one.)
2. Put out your plan of action in public! Let your family and friends know. Gather your support system! Find people who want to achieve the same things as you do and use each other as accountability partners! Get a trainer, get a coach, get someone to help you on your journey!
3. Figure out a "WHY" factor. If you listed "losing weight" or "quit smoking," figure out your WHY factor. Why do you want to lose weight? Get to the bottom-most reason. If you say, I want to fit in smaller-sized clothes... WHY? And if you say, because I want to feel and look good for myself... WHY? And you'd say because I really need to get healthy... WHY? and you'd say, because I owe it to my family to still be around to live life with them. Find the deepest WHY FACTOR for your goals!
4. Last, but definitely not the least, ACT ON IT. Find a way to begin your journey toward your goal. If you wanted to save more, start with $1 a day... or $5 a week... or $10 every two weeks. You don't have to do the big things right away. You just gotta START with something somewhere. If you want to lose weight, start with cutting down on pop during lunch time... or cut down on pop on MWF... or cut down one day a week. If you want to exercise more start with walking every afternoon for 30mins... or walking every TTS for 30mins... or walking on Saturdays for 30mins. JUST START somewhere.
Perhaps the most important thing we can do is to really SIT DOWN and PLAN on what we want to do for the first month, second month, third and up to the middle of the year. Come Summer time, we usually find another reason to get motivated with our goals, especially health goals again because of the beach and of vacations. PLAN everything before you put your best foot forward. We are better off with a good plan taken in small steps than going after something in strides only to later fail because we didn't have a plan to begin with.
I pray that whatever your goals are for the New Year, you will NEVER FORGET that we make all the plans in the world for ourselves but it is the LORD who will direct our steps. Lift up EVERYTHING you want to do in the coming year to Him and FOR HIM. You'll get far with His Grace and power, more than you can ever get doing it all by yourself.
I wish you and yours ENOUGH for 2014. :)
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