Its the end of January and you might be thinking, “Where did the month go?” Each year you may start off with new goals in mind, new adventures, challenges planned out. The infamous New Years Resolution doesn’t have to ruin the way you feel about yourself. Whether you set out to loose weight, spend more time with family, make more money, spend less money, get a new car, keep your house clean, spend more time with the kids…. (and the list goes on), you were determined to achieve your goal. But it is not everyday that you are a Superacheiver! It takes practice and sometimes, a lot of bumps in the road. So hang in there! At the first sign of “failure”, be sure to take a step back.
Here are some tips to keep in mind to stay focused on your goal.
1. Make room for the improvement- Yes this means that you get to pat yourself on the back. You must acknowledge your victories! Even if you only did a little bit. For example, you made avoided pulling into the Starbucks drive-thru one time. Remember the sacrifices you are making. A caution, don’t get too ahead of yourself. Each time you have to raise the bar just a little. This will keep you moving forward.
2. Keep moving Forward- Yes, even when you get sidetracked, cheat on your diet or skip the gym, you must get up the next day with intentions of continuing. Measuring your progress in a great way to make sure that your goal is obtainable and realistic. Of course you want BIG improvements for yourself BUT, you can’t carry the world on your shoulders.
3. Set time frames-Are you giving yourself enough time? Maybe, maybe not. Take a look at your lifestyle, finances, motivation, time, and resources, are they in line with your goal? If not re-evaluate! This is the worst thing you can do is not put enough time into planning a sound goal. You will set yourself up for failure, that is no good for the self-esteem. Set long term and short term goals. For example, In the next two weeks I will…… or By next month I will…… Remember plan, plan, plan and have a backup plan!
4. Support- Find persons or things in your life that support your new goal! There are so many technologies out there to help, Facebook groups, Pinterest, google images, phone apps, online forums, ect. Photo boards on Pinterest may keep you motivated with healthy meals, style, vacation adventures and so much more. Photographs help inspire creativity and may give you a new perspective on your goal. Or maybe when you are feeling like you can’t do it….you can find people who do and re-inspire your motivation. Don’t forget about friends and family! If you need a bit more you might want to consider a group focused on the same goals, a counselor, therapist, or life-coach to help you through.
Be sure that you made your goal with the idea in mind that it is truly important to you! Overall, change is difficult! No one wakes up and wants to change without a darn good reason or motivation. Be healthy and best of luck with your New Years Resolution!
Disclaimer: This post is to help inspire and support, there are some goals that you may set that are much more complex. This post is not professional guidance and is created for leisure reading.
Lori Johnson, M.A., LPC-S, LAC, ACS is the Founder and Clinical Director of IFC. she is passionate about increasing awareness for the diagnosis of OCD, especially for those who struggle with co-occuring addiction. She is a clinical supervisor and trainer, speaker and advocate on the topics of Substance Use Disorder, Addiction, and OCD at the IOCDF Conference and Denver treatment centers. Featured on Podcasts, The OCD Stories, Chrissie Hodges Pure OCD Author’s podcast, and is proud to be part of the OCD Gamechangers.