It's a New Year!

Happy New Year! It’s that time when I find myself thinking, “Okay, I’m going to accomplish so much more this year…no more slacking!” Goal setting, resolution making and dreaming big are all awesome, but if you’re like me, goals can also feel hard, overwhelming and out of reach at times.  So here are a few simple things I do to help me achieve my goals each year:
 
1. Post them in a visible place where you’ll see them everyday
 I use post-it notes, make collages and write simple one sentence "motivators" that I put on my bathroom mirror, refrigerator or car dashboard so that I’m reminded of what I’d like to accomplish this year.
 
2. Don’t try to implement a lot of changes at once
For example, I’d like to eat more veggies everyday, save money, create a budget, exercise regularly, write more blog posts, meditate daily, spend more time with my son, etc. etc.
When I put all this down on a list, I look at it, sigh and feel a bit intimidated. Where to start? I’ve decided this year, I’m going to just focus on one goal per month until it becomes habit and then add another one into the mix. We have 12 months, right? I don’t have to do it all before March.
 
3. Ask yourself, “What is one small step that I can do today to help me reach my goals?”
Once I’ve chosen the goal that I’m going to focus on for that month, I like to break it down into manageable steps. Let’s take exercise for example. Realistically, I know that I won’t go to a gym and exercise everyday, but I do have a Fitbit, so I can simply focus on hitting my daily step goal.  Or I could just tell myself, “I’m going to go for a 10 minutes walk after lunch everyday.” Pretty doable, right?
 
4. Have positive self-talk
 You know at times when you make a mistake or try something new (yoga class, anyone?) and it doesn’t go as planned and that voice in your head starts chiming in, “That was so dumb. You look ridiculous. What were you thinking?”
Yeah, that voice, it needs to take a hike. Seriously.
When you find that happening, think “stop”. Then replace it with what you imagine a close friend would say. Something like, “You did it! I’m proud of you for trying something new.” or “Not bad for the first time.”