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Why you shouldn’t make New Year’s Resolutions

It is that time of the year again. As one year winds down and we contemplate what we achieved and didn’t achieve this self-reflection can prepare us for the year ahead.

So now is the time to consider what you want to achieve in the next 12 months. I am not talking about making some New Year’s Resolutions on the 31st December, which you have usually broken by the end of January. We know New Year’s Resolutions do not work! The stats prove this.

Studies have shown that less than 25% of people actually stay committed to their New Year’s Resolutions after just 30 days, and only 8% accomplish them.

So, before you make an unrealistic resolution and become yet another statistic, think of putting smart goals in place instead.

What do I mean by SMART goals? Smart goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Let’s dive a bit deeper.

Specific – get clear on the goal and be as detailed as possible. Saying you want to lose weight means nothing. Be specific! You want to lose 10kg and fit into your wedding dress by June 2020 is a specific goal.

Measurable – Make sure you can measure the result. In this example you can measure success by how many kilos you lose each month, allowing you to track your progress.

Attainable – part of being attainable is understanding your limits and knowing if the goal will work in your lifestyle. If you travel a lot and you know you eat poorly when travelling, you will need to adjust your habits accordingly.  Attainability comes with changing your habits.

Realistic – not being realistic is just setting yourself up for failure. If you say you wanted to lose 50kg in 6 months, then it’s unlikely. However breaking it into smaller more realistic goals helps to keep you motivated and achieve desired results over time.

Timely – is that timeframe suitable? I like to set weekly, monthly and quarterly goals and milestones to help me track my progress. Sometimes the big end goal can be a little overwhelming and make it hard to start. By following SMART goals instead of a spur of the moment New Year’s Resolutions you are setting yourself up for SUCCESS.

We think this is a better way to help you stay on track with your goals and actually see some positive results. Try these actions instead and see the difference it makes in your results.

Let us know how you go.