Already struggling to maintain those New Years’ Resolutions and lifestyle goals for 2019? Perhaps consider whether what you’re expecting of yourself is reasonable.
One of the most common problems here is that people try and completely change who they are overnight. They’ll convince themselves that despite living off junk food and never exercising a day in their lives, that they will miraculously keep up a daily gym habit and eat nothing but salad… simply because they decided to.
Of course, this kind of plan is destined for failure. Of course, this will be another reason to beat yourself up when it all blows up in your face.
Because no amount of willpower can complete with habits and patterns that are hardwired in your mind; habits that you might have reinforced hundreds of thousands of times!
If you actually want to make a change – and make it stick – you have to take things steadier and be reasonable with yourself. One step at a time people.
I really don’t believe in New Years’ Resolutions myself…. but I am geeky for goal-setting. This is why I downloaded myself a new ‘Habits’ app, in which I could track a few things that I’m trying to either do more or less of. And here’s a screenshot showing last weeks’ progress (or lack of in some cases):
See… I want to commit fully to a daily mediation along with mindfulness, and I really want to make time for some creative writing, but I’m also keen to drop sugar from my diet and get back to my morning exercises. And frankly, this week has been about survival as I’ve hobbled back into my old routine after the holiday break.
Twenty-something me would have looked at this chart and seen only the crosses; this would have been an exercise in self-loathing.
But nowadays I see this for what it is – progress.
Small, steady steps in the right direction.
I’m just going to trust that the rest of the crosses will eventually become ticks.
And even if they don’t, it won’t take away from the fact that today I’m a little bit closer to my goals than I was yesterday.
Anxious-Ambition.com 