Every 365 days, we take stock of the year behind us and begin to look forward to our goals for the year ahead. And, thus, the dreaded New Years Resolution list is born. While many look to the resolution list with optimism and hope, others often find it difficult to keep the goals intact and end up quickly getting frustrated. But, that doesn’t have to be the case. Here are some tips on how to make and keep your new years resolutions in 2016.
- Prepare in advance. No one said resolutions have to start on January 1st, so if you’re waiting until the ball drops on New Years Eve, don’t worry about hitting the ground running the next morning. Give yourself sometime to make your list, decide what’s really a priority, and formulate a plan on what steps to take to reach each goal.
- Be realistic. While making a million dollars next year is a fabulous goal, unless you are currently working a job or have real prospects of having a job with that salary, that goal is not really realistic. Set challenging expectations to keep you motivated but not so unrealistic that you can’t reach them.
- Focus on the positive – not the negative. A lot of resolutions fail because we are so focused on losing or not doing something. I must stop eating sugar. I have to quit smoking. A positive goal is an action you want to perform; a negative goal is something you want to stop doing. The habits and behaviors that caused you to be a smoker and gain those extra pounds happened over time, so a giant shift to change them will just create havoc to your life. Instead focus on getting healthier, walking more, etc. Little changes will lead to the ultimate goal a lot faster and with a lot more success.
- Be specific. If you want to start going to the gym more often, it is not enough to say that you want to go to the gym three times a week. Where is that going to fit on your calendar? You need to pick specific days and add that to your agenda. Unless you get specific, you will have a hard time identifying all of the obstacles that will get in your way. Put the gym on your calendar Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. That is specific enough to give you a fighting chance of succeeding.
- Be kind to yourself. Real change is hard. You are creating a plan to make real changes in your life, whatever they are. Don’t get discouraged if you lose track. Go back to your list, regroup and get back to the path you’re aiming for. There are days when you will succeed and others when you will fail. On the days you fail, treat that as an opportunity to learn about what to do in the future rather than as a reason to give up. People really can succeed with their New Year’s resolutions. They just have to plan ahead
Finally if you have a resolution to buy or sell a home in 2016, feel free to Just Call The Pro’s! We will help you keep that goal a reality