Every year, come January 1st, most of us declare this new coming year to be “my year”, or “year of change”. For obvious reasons, new year signifies a chance for new beginnings and fresh starts. Whether it be a resolution to lose weight (undeniably one of the most popular ones ;) ), quitting smoking, being more organized or learning a new language, how many of these do we really end up fulfilling? It may actually be easier than we think.
First of all, the changes, which you wish to make must be made clear. I’m not talking about posting same on Facebook or Twitter, but defining and writing them down for yourself, on a piece of paper, indicating why/how will the particular change help make your life easier/better. Second, place your list in a place where you will see it every day, whether it be a nightstand, or an office desk. Looking at your goals as well as reasons for them everyday will help you stay motivated as it will remind you of things that you wish to accomplish.
Next, get a calendar, or a planner, and take notes of the tasks you wish to accomplish each day. Say you wish to start reading more books,or start working out on a regular basis; write down the things that you would need to do in addition to that. Write down basic tasks such as “get groceries”, “do laundry”, “give dog a bath” or “finish reading a book”, etc. Having your tasks written down on daily basis will help you stay on track and you will end up wasting less time doing nothing. As you complete each task during the day, put a check next to it, you will feel accomplished and will be more likely to complete all of them, when you can see them written down. There are also a lot of cool apps that can be used for the same purpose, but I love me some good old calendar/planner and a pen, where I can write down things I need to get done, change them, add things and doodle all over :)
One of the most important things when attempting change, is to believe that you can do it. Now, to some, this may seem a bit dramatic (“I know I can start cleaning my room more often, I know I can do it! I believe in me!!”), but it’s true. If your resolution is to change something in your life, it is most likely because you are not entirely happy in that area of your life. So even if your resolution is as simple as being more organized or stop procrastinating, say to yourself “I can do it”, because once you do succeed, you will feel a lot better and most likely other areas of your life and relationships will improve as well (Once I stopped being obsessive about cleaning, I actually spend more time living in my house, rather than constantly cleaning it. My husband is no longer being yelled at, if a couch pillow is moved an inch in a wrong direction and my dog also appreciates not being punished for stealing socks from the laundry room and leaving them scattered all over the house).
Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you. Trying to lose weight and people around you constantly tease you, eat pizza in front of you (are you sure you don’t want a slice?)? It’s all good if it’s in good fun and all jokes, but if something, such as losing weight is really important to you and If you know that you are likely to give in in such situations, find some new people to be around. True friends are people who will motivate you and bring positivity in your life, whereas people who constantly nag and complain will make you feel discouraged. Although no one else but you is responsible for making you happy, having great people around is very helpful.
Regardless of how big or small the change that you want to make is, you must know that it is possible. It’s even better if you don’t see a need for change at all (although they do say that there is always room for improvement:) ). Most importantly, do not put yourself down if you happen to fall off track. “It’s not how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up”.
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