Are you waiting for the New Year to set that life-changing resolution?
WHY?
Unless you are setting the resolution to procrastinate more, you are merely wasting time.
Many people enthusiastically set new goals in the beginning of the year, in order to start off the year on a positive note… “This year, I will write that book I’ve been meaning to write”… “This year, I will complete that house project that I’ve been planning to finish”… “This year, I will take college courses to advance my career”… “This year, I will learn to ride a unicycle”… “This year, I will lose 10 pounds”… “This year, I will wrestle a black bear.” Whatever your, goal, most people wait until January 1st to set the wheels in motion.
Unfortunately, despite the best intentions, many people veer off the path and find it difficult to regain their footing and get back on track. Instead of quickly hitting the reset button, many people will wait until January 1st to revisit their goal in hopes of a different result. It’s okay. It happens. Sometimes, life gets in the way and interrupts our plans. Don’t fret. There’s a solution to your resolution.
Instead of waiting until January 1st to reset your “resolution”, why not set an “End-of-the-Year Resolution”?
Don’t wait for New Year’s Day to work towards your goal. Take advantage of the remaining time in this year to end the year on a positive note. By ending the year on the upswing, you carry momentum into the beginning of the following year.
Let’s look at the following example… Your New Year’s resolution was to run your very first marathon. The day after the ball dropped in Times Square, you headed out to a specialized running store to get fitted for the perfect running shoes, a special treat to get you going. You decided to start off slowly, running on the treadmill at the gym three days a week with the goal of two miles a day. You, strategically, increased your mileage over the course of two months then life got in the way… the flu, the kids sporting events, overtime at work, Netflix, etc. You were lucky to run 1-2 times a week but swore to yourself to get back on schedule when your personal commitments lightened up. After 8 inconsistent months, your running came to a grinding halt. Two more months passed and you started to think about your marathon resolution. Even though you were disappointed, you promised yourself to start up again at the start of the next year.
Again, WHY? You have two more months at your disposal to start running again and build momentum so you are not back at square one on January 1st. You have three months to develop a positive habit.
It’s okay to take it slow, but take it. Take the time given to you to hit the reset button, start anew and give yourself an opportunity to end on a positive note.
So, without further adieu, let’s get going on your End-of-the-Year-Resolution… Raise your right hand and loudly repeat, with conviction, to the following: “I solemnly promise myself to end this year on a positive note. I forgive myself for veering off the path but that is insignificant now. It is in the past. I will utilize to remaining time this year to __________________ starting today!”
Start off each day by repeating this personal promise. Even if you don’t run that marathon this year, at least you ran. You put one foot forward and took steps in the right direction. In reality, it doesn’t matter how fast you run your race, just than you make strides in the direction of your goal and move closer to your finish line.