Happy 2016!
I get so excited and pumped when the new year rolls around! I love the fresh start!
I took a little break from the blog in December to focus on the boutique end of my business. I have missed hanging out here with you so thank you for returning! The week after Christmas was a much needed break from the hustle of the holidays and gave me some extra time to figure out my goals for 2016 and reflect on what I accomplished…and much of what I didn’t, in 2015.
I’m a planner and absolutely LOVE setting goals! Now, sticking with them and following my plans is probably the issue I struggle with most. That is probably why so many of us have new year resolutions that never come to fruition!
While it is good to make resolutions, it is even better to have a plan and action steps in place to achieve them! That is why I am sharing a list of 10 ways to keep your resolutions this year!
10 Ways To Keep Your Resolutions This Year
1. Set Measurable, Specific & Realistic Goals: Goals like “lose weight” and “save money” are likely to be forgotten before the ball even drops on New Year’s Eve! Make your goals specific so that you can measure them month-to-month! Also, being realistic with our goals and what we can actually accomplish in a year (or a month) will help to motivate us to continue our goal-setting in the future.
2. Write & Share: Writing our goals out as often as possible is an excellent reminder and focus exercise. In addition, try writing out what motivates you or the “why” behind each of your goals. Share your goals with friends and family as a verbal commitment and for support!
3. Break it Down: Break large goals into smaller, bite-size pieces. Want to lose 30 pounds or save $5000? Divide it out by month or by week, review and reward yourself when you reach those goals! This makes it less overwhelming and way more encouraging to continue all year long!
4. Reap Your Rewards: Having more deadlines only means more rewards! Each month decide what reward you will set to motivate you! Maybe a manicure, date-night, a massage, mini-vaca, etc. You have to make reaching mini-goals more fun!
5. Daydream: The mind is such a powerful thing! Use goal-related affirmations to train your brain for the reality you seek. Envisioning your goals coming to fruition will empower you and renew your spirit to prevail!
6. Build Your Habits: The little things add up! We make choices all day, every day… make good ones that are in-line with your goals! Over time our choices will become habits and our habits will determine our reality.
7. Set Reminders: Come March, you don’t want to forget what you set out to do in January! Set reminders in your phone or in your calendar to review your goals… just in case the post-it note has fallen behind the refrigerator! If you are off-track, pick up where you left off and re-write your goals.
8. Plan a Course of Action: It’s easy to write out goals like “save more money” or “be healthier” but we not only have to be more specific but we need to plan the course of action. Write out some steps you can take this week to reach that goal. Write things like “try a new low-carb recipe” or “review ways to reduce expenses this month.”
9. Use Visuals: Focus on a small few goals and use visuals to motivate and remind you why you are making these resolutions. Write or print out your goals and place them on your nightstand to read every morning. Or maybe create a small vision board for your office to encourage you every day! Either way, make them pretty and have some fun with it!
10. Positive Persistence, NOT PERFECTION: You will fail along the way. Don’t pressure yourself with perfection, IT DOESN’T EXIST! Action and persistence with a positive attitude will take you to the finish line every time!
THIS IS YOUR YEAR! 🙂
Pin it for later…
I hope you find this list helpful in planning and achieving your own goals this year! I find it so important to have goals each year! It gives purpose to my days and helps me find the best version of myself!
May God bless you in 2016! I can’t wait to see what we can all accomplish this year!
-Lauren
P.S. Since we are sharing our goals with friends, I want you to know that one of my goals is to grow my blog views this year (and yes I have a specific number set, haha!)! I would appreciate it so much if you could me help share Rustic Honey with more readers this year! 🙂
What are your resolutions this year?
[…] (almost weeks) behind getting to this post. As excited as I get for the new year, planning all of my goals, I also love looking back at the past year. What we did, what we accomplished, and all of the […]