Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Happy 2009! With a new year come fresh opportunities and energized resolve. However, an unsettling convention seems to have developed from the once-optimistic creation of new years resolutions. From the well-intentioned but doomed 'to change my life for the better!' emerges a darker shadow of doubt, desperation, and impotency.
Indeed, upon trawling the vast infinitude of blogosphere, I have found several heartbreaking examples:
- "It's tragic though, because I know deep down (as much as I deny it) that I won't follow most of these resolutions anyhow" one doleful blogger admits.
- "10 New Years Resolutions I Know I'm Not Going to Keep" adorned another's list.
Why is it that resolutions are so simple to set, yet far easier to shatter? The truth is that disillusionment is entirely preventable. Here are a few guidelines:
1. Articulate definitive and organized objectives.
- If you don't know what you want, you're never going to get it.
- Establish your reason for going after the goal.
- Try grouping your resolutions in categories (Health and Fitness, Relationships, Work)
2. Details, details, details.
- Identify what has prevented your success previously and find ways to overcome such obstacles.
- Under each main resolution, specify how you are going to strive to accomplish it.
- The more specific you are, the less room you have for error.
- Remind yourself of your resolutions often.
- Make several copies of your list and post them where you will notice them.
- Enlist supportive friends and family to remind you of your goals.
4. Set periodic goals.
- Rather than wait until December 31st to consolidate your progress, hold monthly (or bimonthly evaluations.
- Set mini-goals that add up to a larger achievement.
- The main idea to keep goals burning freshly in your mind.
5. Prepare for failure.
- Slip-ups are inevitable, but they don't signify defeat.
- Analyze what went wrong and rectify your mistakes.
- Never lose faith.
6. Don't be afraid to dream big.
- As long as a goal has been carefully identified, specified, and formulated, there is no justification in sticking with stunted, stodgy hopes.
I fully intend to achieve my goals--because I have set myself up for success. So here's to a healthy, empowered year.
Sample Resolutions: notice the detail.
Swim season is over-- it ended yesterday with the annual BBQ, which entailed amazing burgers and numerous awards, gifts for coaches and farewells to seniors. A bittersweet ending as usual. I can honestly say that the amazing passion of our coaches and the incredible camaraderie of our team made life worthwhile the past three months.
But as with all good television shows, swim season takes a yearlong hiatus. And with this newfound break come different responsibilities. Because of the rigorous daily practices, I dismissed the notion of watching my calorie consumption, assuming that whatever ghastly foods I absorbed would 'burn' themselves off. I let my mom go off on her weekly hikes alone, and said goodbye to the gym and park.
No more. Hello FitDay (a calorie and nutrient counter), hola elliptical, adieu rowing machine, zdravstvuite daily trials and tribulations. I've returned to the real world, where calories don't vanish by themselves and muscles atrophy.
As the homebound contestants of The Biggest Loser know, falling into old habits is effortless. But once they realize that they are worth it, they make the choice to set a path where it is more difficult to veer off-- by putting frozen yogurt in the freezer, and weighing themselves every week.
"Willpower is overrated," Jillian Michaels declares, "you eliminate the need for it by destroying the temptation."
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