Source : santabanta.com

Remember the lists and those resolutions you wrote {or thought of} at the beginning of 2012? Yes, those lists. The “I will vow to eat only organic stuff and exercise more” and “I won’t spend so much on clothes and makeup so I can travel more” Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera . Do you know why they went haywire and never seem to push through, which in turn leaves you feeling depressed and which consequently makes you completely forget those promises and then New Year comes around and you’re back to doing what exactly?
 
Making promises you know you can’t keep? Or showing the world that, here you are making more resolutions {most of which are the same ones you made the year before} which will fizzle out before you reach the middle of the New Year.

Why does this happen?




I've asked myself the same question and internalized it. Sought articles about said topic and came to the conclusion that we don’t really fully know the HOW and more importantly the WHY.

Disclaimer : Image isn't mine

LET ME BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU.

Let’s say you want to 1. Be Fit and Healthy .But you don’t follow through on plans {or actually get to making those plans} to watch what you eat , to do the exercise regimes that you were planning to follow and knowing what your actual goal weight is.

Now, your resolutions or “wishes/goals” for the new year can be as vague as you want it. But the point is you have to REALLY want it.

Because if you really WANT something really badly, you’ll do everything you can to get it and keep it. So before you binge on those fried chocolate donuts stuffed with heaven, remember your goal, do you actually want it to happen? If not, why make that goal in the first place?

The key here is that you have to want it and it has to be conceivable. No dream-like goals that are so preposterous it’d be great science-fiction material. Like losing 10 pounds in 30 days? Not gonna happen unless you starve yourself. I've watched Super Slim Me. If you haven’t, you should. Very insightful stuff.

As for me, I’ve come to resent the word “resolution”. I feel like it came to represent to me as empty promises and wishful thinking. I’ve broken more resolutions than I can count with both my hands twice over and maybe that’s why I don’t follow through with them. Because they came to be defined as something negative to me.

So with that realization, I’ve decided not to do anymore resolutions ever since last year and just do goals or bucket lists. Basically the main things that I want to happen to me for this year and the next years to come, no pressure. I’ll take my time to go through my list, because I think that’s also what makes people give up on their “resolutions”, because of the unrealistic deadlines.

We covered the WHY how about the HOW?

Disclaimer: Image isn't mine

Now that you realized what you want, WHAT YOU REALLY REALLY WANT. The how will just come naturally.

Let’s say you want to 2. Travel more. For which of course you need funds for once you decide on a place and look around the prices and what you can do there and estimate the amount you actually need to go, there and back with a little spending on the side. 

Writing down the goal amount and doing bar charts helps because your brain absorbs it more since we are visual creatures. {Why do you think PowerPoint presentations make use of visual charts? And input images? Because they're easy to take in the brain.} Like, for every amount you put in the “travel fund”, increase the bag graph closer to the ending goal amount. Or make a poster and fill in the bar or fill it with stars, just be as creative and as hands-on as you can.

The thing with making goals and writing them down is, they’re just words. Words on paper that you can easily throw away and forget. But if you make it something more and something that you can’t ignore {like the bar graph poster is right on top of your bed} it will keep reminding you of your goals and how close you are to it.

If you’re doing some realigning as well ,or have your goals and plans for 2013 set out, do a blog post about it and let the world know! Part of what makes us not go back on our promises is that we hate disappointing other people more than ourselves, use it to your advantage!

Remember, whatever your list may be, it all boils down to “will this make me happy?” :)

If you want to read more about planning here are some helpful links 3 Things to do this year to have a kick butt year! The Anti-Resolution 2013 New Year Guide and How to be Happy

Oh and Happy New Year to you!




Disclaimer : These are just my opinions and you don't necessarily need to follow them nor am I telling you to follow them. These are just my own thoughts that may or may not help other people.