Every year, you set out to start eating healthier, start a sidehustle, stop smoking, or even start going to the gym. Why is it so difficult?
After a few months of keeping at it, you somehow fall into the pit again. Going to the gym 5 times a week turns into 3 which then turns into to 0. You’re not alone. It’s unbelievably difficult to hit your resolutions!
1 of 4 people fail a few weeks in, 43% fail before February and only 9% are successful in New Year’s resolutions. This 9% are ordinary people just like me and you. Now before you make assumptions, they aren’t superhuman, they aren’t geniuses, but they do all follow these Three Golden Rules – Dream, Plan, Execute
1. Dream big!
Dreaming of your future or what you envision to achieve is the first step for everyone. Now, what most people don’t realize is that dreaming about a better future isn’t that easy to come by. You need an incentive. A reason why not accomplishing this goal would jeopardize your future self.
75% of people succeed in the first month of the New Year because they are hungry for achieving their goal! The examples below target deep-rooted emotions in one’s self. Most people that TRUELY want to stop a bad habit or start a good habit need a foundational reason for their goal.
- You got fired and don’t want to feel that embarrassment anymore
- You are seeing the negative impacts of smoking and want to be a good role model for your children
- You want to go to the gym because you’re getting bullied because of your weight or aren’t getting the validation you want
A great way to dream about your future-self is using a Vision (or Dream) Board! Canva has a great free template to start making your first Vision Board here:
2. Plan, Plan, Plan!
Say you want to lose weight ad you dream to lose 20 lbs. You have to then plan to go to the gym 3 days a week. You’ll soon realize that a few weeks i, you might be planning for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday but other activities such as friend get-togethers or date nights get in the way! Planners are a great way to ensure all your plans for the week are set out for you. Here are a few way to plan for your goals.
- Daily / Weekly / Monthly Planners
- Doing your goal together with a friend! Keep yourselves accountable 😀
Clever Fox Planner
3. Execute!
The final and hardest part of achieving your goals is actually executing on your plan and keeping yourself accountable. This comes down to your discipline and how hungry you are to achieve it.
Executing is keeping consistent on the new habit or breaking the old one. One of the best ways to do this is to take small steps and integrate it slowly into your life. Taking the same example, you want to lose 20 lbs over the next year you have to plan for going to the gym 3 days a week and reflecting on your eating habits on a week-to-week basis.
Keep yourself accountable by tracking your progress through different apps or tools. Track your weight, track how many times you smoke in a week versus the last, etc… I trust that 1% changes in your life, you will keep consistent in any of your goals for this year!