Ring In the New Year

January 1st. A day to clean up from the holidays. A day to stop celebrating, and start getting serious about turning your life around. Make changes. Stop eating sugar. Smile more. Stop gossiping. Be more charitable. Etc, etc.

I have mixed feelings about Resolutions. Do I like the idea of making goals and trying to change for the better (I would hope...)? Absolutely! The part I don't like is the timing.

Every person starts off at a full sprint today; you are PUMPED about 2013, and THIS is going to be the best year of your life with this new and improved you! Congratulations! ... And then the end of February rolls around, you've got seasonal depression from the lack of holidays and sunshine, and you no longer even remember your original goals....

It's really a trap because ever goal needs a good starting push, a good motivator, and what better time is there than a whole new year to start fresh and create a new identity for yourself? The problem is, you have the bad habits you have (or the lack of hobbies) because they're fun/easy, and with nothing else to really distract you, it's all too easy to fall back into your old way of life.

I think it's so crucial to make and keep goals you have set in order to really feel happy about yourself and your life. But not having the right push can make it almost impossible.

Maybe this is just me and most of the people in my life. Maybe you NEED to have nothing else distracting you in order to keep in line with your original goal. I can understand that. But if you just read this "paragraph", and shook your head "no", here are some goal setting tips and tricks that have not worked for me (but might work for you), and some that have.

HAVE NOT WORKED FOR ME (but might work for you):

Sticky notes every where. I don't like the clutter, so the sticky notes really just end up driving me crazy more than they help. But it is good to have that constant reminder.

String around your finger/wrist. If it's not jewelry, it will drive me insane to have it on my body all day, and if it IS jewelry, I won't think twice about it. But again, the constant reminder is good.

Pictures of the end goal. Back to the clutter, but the constant reminder.

Support group. Right?! This should be the best. I think mainly I just surround myself with the wrong support group or I don't stick to my guns when I'm pressured (while changing habits).


HAVE WORKED FOR ME (and might help you, too)

Pictures of the consequences of staying the same. As a kid, I would use pictures of disgusting mouths to remind me to brush my teeth. Those visuals stuck with me. You can bet I still brush my teeth regularly. (I even have spares in my car if I'm rushed.). I now use images of health issues followed by not exercising or eating healthily. If your goal is charity work, you could use children of starving children or battered wives, whatever your poison may be.

Set reminders in your phone. I have to be honest here, this works for me, but only after the third or fourth alarm for some things. I really have to have a push, but I know that about myself, which is why I will set three or four alarms. (I also do this before getting out of bed in the morning...)

Throwing out any temptations. This is more specifically for junk food, but if you have other time wasting items that are unnecessary, do it. Don't worry about wasting food; the logic behind eating all of the junk food so it's not wasted is flawed and counter acts your goal. If you're worried about waste, don't buy it in the first place...

Part 2: Look at the monetary aspect behind repurchasing that stuff and how it will go to ware again if you do. If money is no object, let's switch lives. You'll understand why this works for me.

Pros and cons list of remaining stagnant and making changes.

Starting when it's a good time for you rather than when it's a good time for everyone else. (ie, New Years). Don't try making changes when there are already so many going on. (Moving, new job, etc. Too much on one's shoulders) Do it when you feel ready!

Starting small. Seeing the little things change first allow me to check off more boxes quickly. Quick progress is what impatient little me needs to see. It's like paying off debt.


There are a lot more, but my brain is tired from a late night ringing in the new year, and an early to rise lifestyle. :-/. If you have tricks or tips to share with me, please do!

I am an avid supporter of making goals and moving forward because honestly, if you aren't moving forward, you're probably really unhappy, and I don't want to be around that nonsense! And I am willing to bet that most other people feel the same way. Plus, we just need better people, and more positivity these days.

Whether you chose to make resolutions now or in your own time, I hope you find the willpower to make it stick. It only takes three days to start a new habit!! (And something like six weeks to break a bad one... But in the grand scheme of things, six weeks is a drop in the bucket.)