You know how it is – you leave an inspiring conference, have a health epiphany, or the calendar turns to January 1st, and a fire lights inside you. You’re ready and raring to go. And then… you lose momentum. Life gets in the way. Work kicks into overtime. You fall back into old habits.
And your goal goes… kaput.
I’ve been thinking a lot about momentum lately because I’ve had a few bursts of professional ‘fires’ that quickly went out. I was so excited, but then I lost all my momentum! Ugh. It’s a bummer, and it’s also a bit of a confidence-crusher. And it’s hard to get back on the wagon when you’re let yourself slip so many times in the past.
So, the question becomes, how do we maintain momentum while setting New Year’s Resolutions?
I’ve written before about how to set and achieve NYR… Here are my tips, neatly summarized… I highly suggest checking out the full post for all details!
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Don’t: Go in without a plan.
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Do: Be specific
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Don’t: Base all your success on the scale.
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Don’t: Set a NYR based on a knee-jerk reaction.
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Don’t: Make major life changes suddenly.
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Do: Set smaller goals and milestone rewards.
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Do: Establish a healthy way to measure progress.
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Don’t: Set yourself up to fail.
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Do: Set set yourself up to achieve.
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Do: Anticipate obstacles.
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Do: Tell everyone about your NYR.
But here’s my #1 suggestion for New Year’s 2012… Wait until January 7 to kick your resolution into high-gear.
Why? I think the momentum we feel after January 1 is a bit of a false momentum. We wake up on the New Year and feel all motivated and excited to tackle our goals… but we’re suffering from holiday hangovers. We’re out of whack, our schedules are crazy, we’re coming down from sugar highs… Nothing is really normal yet. But, if we wait until January 7th, when things are settled down, and you have a bit more perspective. Waiting until the 7th gives you adequate time to really form a plan, anticipate obstacles, and set realistic goals, too.
So… that’s why I’ll be giving myself a week off before tackling my 2012 Resolutions. I think it will be more helpful in the long run if I let it simmer for a bit.
Thought of the Day:
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.†– Maya Angelou
i completely agree! i always wait until the monday after NYE to get going, when “real life” sets back in.
i think being specific in your NYR is so important — otherwise you really have no way to measure success or improvement.