As we near the end of the first month of 2017, I greet you with well wishes that your year is off to a great start. I hope your goals for the year are still in front of you and not cast aside along the shoulder of the road of life. However, if the latter is the case, I want to encourage you to dive back in and make this a productive and satisfying year.
Go Easy On Yourself. Chances are there is a lot going on with you right now, both personally and professionally. The beginning of the year brings with it a lot of changes for business, governments, cities, etc. That can be a lot to adjust to all at once.
Follow Peace. If your goal was measurable — such as working out 3 to 5 times per week — and perhaps with different workouts on specific days of the week, breathe. That’s right, take a deep breath and just relax for a moment. Now think about which option is better for you: starting over with tomorrow as your new Day 1 or picking up where you would have been had you not taken a break. If your goal builds upon the prior steps, simply give yourself a new start date.
Be Kind. The worst part of falling short of your goals is often not what others say to us or about us, it is what we say to ourselves internally. You can be your own worst critic. Instead, try thinking of yourself with the same loving kindness you would show a good friend, if he or she were having difficulty maintaining resolutions.
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Make Adjustments. Take a moment to re-evaluate your goals to determine if you are trying to achieve too much in too short of a time frame. When a goal is too daunting, it becomes easy to avoid. Rather than focusing on weight loss, focus on the activity, such as working out a certain number of times each week.
Celebrate Your Wins. Just as parents heap encouragement upon children as they progress through certain milestones of life, you should celebrate your progress and small victories with a few words of encouragement for a job well done. One of my goals this year is fitness, and I do a lot of in-home workouts. My favorite part is the end of the video not only because it means I made it through a 45- or 55-minute workout, but also because they usually say something along the lines of, “You did great today. Keep up the good work. If you stick with these routines, you will see results.” I always follow that up by telling myself, “good job.”
Partner Up. Enlist the help of others to keep you on track. You know, the good ol’ accountability partner. It really does help.
Inspiration Over Motivation. Think of your goals in terms of what inspires you. When we move according to inspiration, we are in tune with the deepest desires of our heart, and that energy is more than enough to carry us to the finish line. Motivation is a chore; inspiration is a breeze.
The best of luck to you. I know you can do it.
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