by Leina Ussin
It’s that time of a year again! The time where we’ve overwhelmed ourselves with holiday gifts, food, and social gatherings. We’ve done the secret Santas, worn the ugly sweaters, and knocked back the eggnog. It’s the time of year some of us dread, while others celebrate with glee.
It’s also that time of year where we find ourselves doing some reflecting. What could we have done differently? What did we accomplish? What lessons did we learn? And these self-reflections often have the motto, “New Year, New Me,” floating around in our brains. We start mapping out how our new year is going to be different, more productive, more satisfying. And I am definitely here to ride that train with you! But, to make sure we’re not all talk, and no action for 2020, here are a few tips that will help you stick to those resolutions.
Create realistic goals!
We often want to get into shape; be more financially responsible, or work on our credit score. Now, these are obtainable goals, but be realistic with yourself! If you know you’re not a morning person, don’t attempt to wake up 5 am every morning to hit the gym! Start off small! Start a workout routine at home, if you must, and figure out what time works better for you! There are plenty of free videos on YouTube you can check out, before dropping hundreds of dollars at a gym you may only visit once a month!
Want to be better with your finances? Speak to a financial advisor! Some banks have them available to you at no extra cost to you! There are also apps like CreditKarma.com that will assist you with not only your credit score but your financial budget as well. They help you make realistic goals for yourself, as opposed to you trying to attack everything at once!
Write it down!
Once you’ve figured out your goals, write them down! Yes, we want to rely on technology so bad to help us with our everyday life. And though for the most part, it’s beneficial, you have no idea the power of pen and paper! Writing your goals down helps you prioritize them. You can figure out what things need to, or should be, tackled first, and go from there! It can also relieve some of the stress you may be feeling if you’re setting multiple resolutions for yourself. Leaving things jumbled in our heads can cause us to be stressed out cause we feel like we have so much to do.
Writing your goals down causes you to focus on them, as well as start mapping out ways of getting them accomplished! Once you’ve realized how and where to start, you’re one step closer to completing the goal at hand!
Create and maintain a safe space!
This goes for your physical and mental health! Throughout the year, you will find yourself battling with negative thoughts, and unfortunately, people! You need to create a routine, a mantra, anything that allows you to remove that negativity away from you.
I’m aware certain things are unavoidable, a negative boss or family member, and you feel like you just need to endure. Though I can argue with this way of thinking, for the sake of those who have to tolerate negative people, focus on the positive things you have going on within your life. If your boss is a pessimistic person and you realize his/her mood affects yours, think of the positive perks of having that job. Heck, even if it’s just the check you receive on Fridays, focus on that!
Family members are a little harder, I’m sure. But if they’re the ones you only have to see for holidays, be grateful for that! Or, consider creating new traditions without them being there. I’m aware family will always be family, but that doesn’t mean they have the right to mess up the positive space you’re creating for yourself!
Now, there are a bunch of other suggestions I have, but I really feel like these three are the most important! If you’ve had the same goals/resolutions for the past three years, and never accomplished them, maybe rethink on it before making it a goal for 2020. Maybe it isn’t as important to you as you think it is! Make goals that are significant to you! Not anyone else. The point of a resolution/goal is to make you better and set yourself up for the future.
Create vision boards, checklists, and speak things into existence so you can truly manifest these things into your life. Never let rough patches or bumps in the road discourage you, and if by some chance your goal isn’t accomplished by the end of 2020, there is always next year! But if you find yourself in that situation, you better not be all talk, and no action!
