It's that time where we look at the beginning of a New Year and start setting new goals or building on existing ones. Many of us never get past January or February and we give up. For some, life is like a merry go round. We feel like we're in a stuck position, going round and round? There are many things that keep us from our dreams and these dreams could be wonderful life goals.
What is holding you back? Is it fear? Not wanting to change? Or, do you just not like being uncomfortable developing new habits?
The good news is, you don't have to be anxious setting goals and taking the steps to do so. Do you know taking that one step in a positive direction can be so simple it may not seem real? The reality is, it can work and it can be sustainable for reaching your goals!
Dr. Mark Wetzel has some simple tips on reaching those goals that I think you will learn that anyone, even YOU, can accomplish.
Keep in mind, that real life is and should be a roller coaster. You have your ups, downs, corkscrew turns but there is always a beginning and an end.
Life is truly an adventure! When you embrace where you've been, where you are and where you want to be, it is exciting and adventurous! It makes YOU who YOU are!
So strap yourself in and take that one step to a new you for this wonderful new year!
Turning resolutions in to reality.
written by Dr. Mark Wetzel
START SMALL:
Everyone likes to dream big, as you should, however the dream is only one piece of the puzzle. When you accomplish a goal you feel good. If you only have one goal, you will only feel good one time. Setting small goals in between a big goal will keep you going. It feeds your body with good thoughts so you can reach the next goal and then the next. In the end, you start to enjoy the journey to help you reach the big dream. The journey is what shapes you and creates new habits that you're trying to get rid of or build on. This is what will make that change become the new normal. Starting small allows you to better prepare yourself for success with whatever big dream you're trying to accomplish.
CONSISTANCY:
If you start small, the amount of time needed to attain your goal also starts small. This means you may only need 5 to 10 minutes a day to start achieving that said goal. EVERYONE, I repeat EVERYONE has 10 minutes a day they can spare to change a habit or create a new one that takes you towards your final goal. Think about it, go to your phone, look at how much “screen time” you use. I bet that time is used on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. I'm sure you can subtract 10 minutes of that media time to divert it to something else that will help attain your goal. And yes, do this every day! It may seem hard at first but I promise it will become easier. Once you start, after a week or two, it will become the new habit and then you can begin to add more time. Once you build on that time (maybe up to 30 to 60 minutes) you can even start spacing it out to three or four times a week. Whatever is best for your schedule.
SUPPORT YOURSELF:
The body wants to succeed. If you feed yourself success you will breed success. Think of how our bodies learn best. By understanding what kind of learner we are, we can gain a better perspective on how to implement these learning styles into our life.
If we're visual we may need to see something daily that will encourage our success. For example, some might make a poster with lots of color and have the words "You Rock" on it, or a picture of where we see ourselves in a year.
If we're auditory, we may need to talk out loud and hear ourself say, "You can do this" or maybe, have a friend call to tell us what a great job we're doing.
Others may need physical touch/kinesthetic. Giving a few pats on the back, a high five or fist pump. Even journaling might be a great way to measure our success. Keeping a written record of everyday, with hourly accomplishments maybe what works best for some.
Everyone is different in what works best for them, but the body will respond to all those learning styles. So why not try them ALL? Infact, do! For Example, make yourself a note, maybe all it needs to say is “This week I am going to make my bed everyday right before I leave for work.” Post this note on your mirror, every time you walk in front of it say it out loud to yourself. When you do this, you are hitting all three learning styles. By writing it down we FEEL. Posting it you SEE. Saying it out loud you HEAR.
Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic are great learning styles to help the body at an unconscious level to set yourself up to feel good about achieving your success!
Dr. Mark has given us some simple steps to take.
It is that easy, however, it takes that first step of action and consistency with the knowledge that YOU can do this.
A few things to add and consider:
1) Don't beat yourself up if you missed a day.
Just pick up where you left off. It's all about creating that habit. Think of a baby when they start learning to walk. Do they get back up and keep trying when they fall? They're persistent, they don't know they can't walk. So you too CAN!
2) Remember make your first steps SIMPLE and build from there.
If you make it too hard on yourself you may give up. So, celebrate those simple accomplishments that get you one step closer to that goal. For example, if you are wanting to lose weight and you lost 1lb instead of 5 in that first few weeks, celebrate, you are one 1lb closer to that goal!
3) Accountability - have a buddy.
Circle yourself around others that may have similar goals. Ask each other how you're doing, what are your struggles? Give ideas on how to overcome them challenges. Cheer each other on. This is definitely a positive way to help keep you on track. Also, ask permission on how hard to push each other so that you continue to pursue your end goals.
The bottom line is
"EVERY choice you make IS an investment in YOU!"
HAPPY 2019 - May All Your Goals Come True!