Add a rule to your resolution
According to statisticbrain.com, approximately 45 percent of American’s make a resolution. If you’re an avid gym goer, you may have noticed the influx of new faces, but how long does the rush usually last?
Have you made a resolution this year? We’re about a month into the new year, and are you still as dedicated to your goal as when you made it? Have you stopped making progressive steps toward reaching it all together? If so, you’re in good company, only about 8 percent of people who create resolutions actually achieve them.
Bending and breaking
You see, this is the problem about with goals and resolutions. Instead of thinking of them like concrete rules that you MUST abide by, goals or resolutions seem more pliable. You can bend and even break them without consequence, and most people do.
I realize I’m about a month late, but instead of creating a “resolution” this year without any type of affirmation, perhaps you should consider generating rules that intermingle into achieving these goals.
How it works
For instance, if your goal this year is to read more, a rule you might enforce to make this resolution happen might look something like this:
I will go to bed 20 minutes earlier on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and spend that 20 minutes reading.
OR
I will spend one hour every Saturday morning reading while drinking my coffee.
Creating small, realistic rules that supplement your goals will eventually help you form good habits.
Habits create success
Okay, so most importantly, the rules break your big goals down into bite-sized, attainable baby steps. Be certain to create rules that are easy to implement and complement your goal.
For instance, if you want to make sure you’re exercising every day, the rule might be to do at least 20 minutes of walking during the day, or to do 10 pushups as soon as you wake in the morning. Start with something that doesn’t seem overwhelming and gradually work yourself up to more rules that have a higher level of difficulty.
Sometimes it takes time to incorporate new things into your routine, but most of us have apps and cell phones that can help us stick to our guns. If you plan to do something every day at a certain time, set an alarm on your phone and do it. It’s that simple.
Here few great apps for various goals:
MoneyPad – tracks finances and helps you manage your budget
Juice – a wellness app that helps you track sleep, diet and exercise
Quitter – helps you break a bad habit (like smoking)
RE.minder – an app that includes an alarm that repeats each minute, hour or day until you complete a task
Don’t forget to cut yourself some slack
You’re going to be tired, you’re going to get lazy and there are going to be times when you get too busy. Remember to allow yourself a bit of flexibility. If you fall off the wagon, remind yourself that it’s a part of the process and get back on! Good habits aren’t created overnight, folks.
Now, go forth and create healthy, productive rules that help you grab those resolutions by the horns!
