NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:
During my school & college education, many of my classmates were in a habit of making big resolutions every year. But the excitement with which they used to write their resolution kept declining consistently fast from the second day. By the end of a few weeks, they could not even remember what their resolution was for the year.
This trend was also visible in my colleagues when I joined the job. Well! now I know that this is something like a universal phenomenon. Making resolutions and seeing them breaking is so easy. But my personal experience suggests that maintaining your resolution and achieving them is also not difficult. The only thing is to take 5 simple actions.
COMMON RESOLUTIONS:
I could find 7 major areas in which people make their resolutions:
- JOB/BUSINESS/START-UPS: They want to change or upgrade their job or go for a new start-up or make their current business more profitable.
- RELATIONSHIP: They want to improve their friendship or relationship with someone viz. friends, boy/girlfriends, relatives, spouse, neighbors, peers, boss, etc.
- EDUCATION: They want to improve their qualifications either by formal degrees or by taking online courses or webinars.
- GROWTH IN INCOME: They are willing to increase their income by getting promotions in the job or improving performance in the current business. Some of them have focused on developing alternative or multiple sources of income.
- HEALTH & FITNESS: After the Covid pandemic, people are now inclined towards maintaining their bodies fit and healthy. They are now willing to keep some time for physical activity viz. exercise, gym or yoga, etc., and work on nutrition, as well.
- TO GET RID OF SOME BAD HABITS: They want to leave behind some of their bad habits viz. smoking, drinking, drugs, avoiding junk foods, poor spending, watching too much TV, wasting time on social media, etc.
- TO DEVELOP SOME PRODUCTIVE HABITS: They are willing to develop some new habits viz. joining the gym or some morning club, getting up early in the morning, eating nutritious food at the right time, meditation, offering prayers, making timely calls, etc.
HOW TO LET YOUR RESOLUTION NOT FAIL:
5 simple steps can help you to achieve your resolution.
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DECIDE WHY YOU WANT IT:
All of us have several dreams and desires. The only trouble is that in real life there is no Santa Clause to fulfill all your desires. As such it is your hard work that will help you to realize your dreams. But your brain must clearly know why you want to achieve that thing. Once it is clear, the brain will start actions.
Let us understand these 5 steps by the simple example of your goal to reduce your weight by 10 kg.
Think clearly what is the reason for you to bring down your weight. Is it because you want to reduce your BMI from 28 to 22? Your present weight / BMI is a reason for your poor health. It has given you a little higher than normal BP, prediabetic condition, and unhealthy / out-of-shape belly. Your stamina has also reduced and you get tired with little exertion. Are you really serious to control these conditions to bring back your health status?
So, the first step is to understand clearly why you want to reduce your weight.
2. DECIDE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF YOU DON’T ACHIEVE IT:
Next, you should think about the outcome in case you can’t meet your resolution. Will you still feel happy? In the example of reducing body weight, what will happen to your fitness in case your body weight remains the same at the end of the planned period? Will your health issues viz. BP etc. improve, stay the same or deteriorate? The chances are that there will be deterioration. Can you be happy with such a situation? Will you not be creating a threatening condition for yourself and for your family dependent upon you?
If you don’t like these results, then you have no option other than working seriously for your resolution.
3. DEVELOP BELIEF BY ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE:
You must have a strong belief that you will be able to meet your resolution, no matter what. But remember, strong belief does not come just by thinking. It comes when you are pretty sure that you are competent enough to act as required. And, for that, you must develop appropriate knowledge and expertise in that field. It is ok if you do not possess that knowledge today. But you must be willing to make efforts to acquire that now. Be ready to take specific courses, and attend seminars or webinars.
In the example of managing your weight, you must take guidance from a gym or physical trainer and a nutritionist. You need to join a gym. You have to stop taking junk food. Read books about creating good health. Understand your nutritional needs. Understand why it is essential to reduce your body weight and still maintain your muscle mass at a good level. Once you develop that knowledge base, your belief level will automatically shoot up.
4. PUT ACTION & DEVELOP NEW HABITS:
Now, you have to put all that knowledge to work. Action is the most important part of meeting your resolution. And, in order to make action, you may have to develop some new productive habits.
In the case of weight management example, you must take a few actions simultaneously. You may be required to do some workouts either at home or at a gym. You may have to join a morning club. You must start following a healthy diet with restricted calorie intake as per the guidance of a dietician. You must also follow proper timings for your meals. Your schedule of night sleep may also be altered. These are simple new habits that are essential for your resolution and must be followed.
5. CONSISTENT EFFORTS:
If you continue to work on your new habits, there is no reason why you can’t reach your goals. Many people fail just because they are not consistent. You must resolve not to give breaks to your activities. That is your real test. Challenges will be there. Situations will arise that would force you to put brakes. But, keep your focus on actions and learn to overcome challenges. Remember, the victory goes only to those who perform consistently.
https://thelifeuddeshya.com/do-you-take-breaks-on-way-towards-your-goals/
TAKE AWAY:
You make a resolution ultimately to achieve it. Then, why not follow these simple 5 steps which can definitely help you to meet your resolution?
Friends! Make resolutions, no matter how big, and follow these steps. Next time you will be able to proclaim that you were successful to make your resolution come true.
Dr. Lokesh N Rai
