Making New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year! The New Year is a time for new beginnings, and of course, for resolutions. In addition to my usual resolutions about losing weight and going to the gym more often, I’m also working on a whole set of resolutions, or goals, related to my writing. I’m trying to set deadlines for the completion of projects, decide what new projects I want to begin this year, and what actions I’ll have to take monthly and daily to reach my goals. I’d like to share with you a few things to consider this second day of January when you are either creating resolutions or already breaking them.

1. Smart Goals – In the world of goal setting, S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (or Tangible). Working within these guidelines helps you to create goals that aren’t vague (I want to lose 20 pounds in six months rather than I want to lose weight) or unrealistic (I’m going to run in the New York marathon this year, although I’ve never run before!). They help make you accountable because you’ve set deadlines to achieve these goals and you’re measuring along the way to see if you’ve made headway in reaching your goal.

2. Write them down - Sonia Ricotti of Lead Out Loud Inc. says thinking about our goals isn’t enough. Putting them down on paper dramatically increases our chances of achieving them.

3.  Say it Loud and Proud - Once you’ve made your S.M.A.R.T. goals, and written them down, read each goal out loud. As you read, pay attention to your thoughts about your goal. If you find yourself thinking negative thoughts such as “I’ll never lose fifty pounds”, you may be sabotaging yourself. You don’t always accomplish what you want; you accomplish what you believe you can. By becoming aware of negative thoughts, you can focus on shifting them to positive, empowering thoughts (“I can lose weight and keep it off!”). Doing so increases your chances of reaching your goal.

4. Visualize your success – In 1988 Elizabeth Manley was a Canadian figure skater set to compete at the Olympic games in Calgary. I read a story about her in which she said she did daily visualization exercises. She saw herself performing her routine from beginning to end. When she could finally visualize herself performing every spin and jump to perfection, without any mistakes or falls, she knew she could do the same at the Olympics. And she did, winning a silver medal for Canada that year. Visualizing what success feels like helps to keep us motivated and helps us to reach our goals faster.

5. Plan for success – What steps do you need to take to achieve each goal? Who do you need to contact? What do you need to do? Write out an action plan for each goal, breaking it down into smaller, daily, weekly and monthly to-do tasks.

While you’re creating goals, think about what you really want in life. I read this column in my local newspaper, and it got me thinking. Ask yourself what things you want more of, and what you want to eliminate from your life in 2014. Here’s a ‘more’ list:

- I have always wanted to…
- I really like to…
- I want to do more of…
- Who do I want to be in ___ years?

And here’s a ‘less’ list:
- Things I want to do less of…
- Things I never want to do again…
- Situations I want to avoid…
- I want freedom from…

So Happy 2014 everyone! Let’s make this our year to live the lives we dream of!