Blogmas Day 20: Goal Setting in 2017

Hello, friends! Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a marvelous day. My day was rather long and it’s been a hot minute since I have had a complete day off to relax from either job. In turn, I am feeling slightly worn out, however, with Christmas being only 5 days; it is hard to feel unhappy and moody. So I am counting on caffeine, Christmas music, and jolly vibes to get me through these next 4 days of work and responsibilities.

Day 20 of Blogmas is all about…. Goal setting…New Year’s Resolutions… da da danttttt. You knew it was coming lol. It’s that time of year where everyone is starting to think about what they are going to achieve in 2017 and how they are going to reach and conquer their goals come January 1st. 2017 is THEIR YEAR and they are going to tackle it like a boss. *insert sunglass emoji here.* That is a great mentality to have. The only person standing between you and reaching your goals is you.

But… Did you know that only 75% of people stick to their NYRs through the first week? And only 46% stick to their NYRs for at least 6 months? Why is this? Well, a lot of people don’t think about the best way to go about reaching their goals. So instead of going into New Years without proper thought on how to make their resolutions stick… Stop, take a minute, and read my tips for how YOU can make 2017 the year that you FINALLY reach your goals.

• Stop and think. What do you really want? Why do you want to reach said goal? You need to make sure you are setting a NYR that is for you. Not because someone else says you should do x, y, z. (Read my previous my blog post on this topic HERE). If you need help coming up with a NYR, look back on 2016. How did 2016 go? What would you like to improve on? And go from there…
• Focus. Choose either one large goal or a few small goals to work towards in 2017. Don’t try to change everything about your life at once. You are just setting yourself up to get overwhelmed and fail. Don’t look at this as a time to “overhaul” your life-choose a big goal or a few small things instead.
• Be Specific and Realistic. Set goals that are able to be measured. Instead of “I want to lose weight” say “I want to lose 20 lbs. by December, 2017.” You want to be able to measure your goal. If you have a big goal, break that big goal into smaller pieces. Take the 20 lbs. example. Break that into —> I will work out 3x a week. —>  Out of those three workouts, I will do Zumba, on Friday’s at my gym, at 6:30 pm. The more specific you are- the better. But remember to be realistic, too. You aren’t going to lose 10 lbs. a month. You aren’t going to go from being winded walking up the steps to running a marathon in 2 months.
• Plan ahead/Research. Do yourself a favor and do some research. See what you are getting yourself into. If you want to do a powerlifting meet, see what all goes into a powerlifting program, what equipment you need, what workouts consist of, memberships, cost, etc. Know what potential roadblocks could come up and get into the way of you reaching your goals. If your NYR is to meal prep once a week, then “no time” could be an excuse that gets in the way of you reaching your goals. Figure out how you are going to tackle and get rid of these excuses. You could meal prep, first thing Sunday morning, so you can’t use that as an excuse. Plan/think ahead. The more prepared you are the more likely you are to reach your goal.
• Write it Down. Make a commitment to yourself. Write it down and leave it places that you will see it… every. single. day. Write it on your mirror, write it on a piece of paper and stick it in your wallet, make it your phone background… whatever it is. Visualize yourself reaching your goal and how great that will make you feel. Look at your goal every day and tell yourself that you will do whatever you can to achieve it. Writing down your goal solidifies it to yourself that this is real-this is my goal and I am going to make it happen.
• Don’t Give Up. It is so easy to think that if you slip up you might as well say “F IT” and throw in the towel. No… no no no. Stumbling is part of the process. You can’t expect perfection 365 days-24/7. If you stumble, get back up. If you accidently crack your phone screen (but it still works), are you going to smash it, into the ground, until it no longer works? Of course not. The same with your goals. Messing up is okay, quitting is not.
• Moral Support. Finding someone to help hold you accountable can be helpful when it comes to reaching your goals. If your friend’s NYR is to run a marathon too, why not become training buddies? You can provide each other moral support, be there to pick each other up when times are tough, and can be a bonding experience for the two of you. If you don’t know anyone with the same goal as you, confide in someone you trust about your goals. Let them know that you are serious about your goals, that this what you are working towards, and ask them to help support you throughout your journey. You do not want to feel like you are “alone” when it comes to reaching your goal and I assure you, you are not.
  

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So, there you have it. 7 tips to help make 2017 YOUR YEAR. 7 tips to help you make New Year’s Resolutions that stick. Go into 2017 with concrete goals, a plan, and then tackle your NYRs like a boss.

How do you feel about New Year’s Resolutions? Do you set NYRs for yourself? What are your goals for 2017 and what are you doing to make sure you achieve your goals? Leave a comment below so we can support one another in the New Year.

Personally, I am setting goals, for myself, all year long. It is a great way to help yourself grow and succeed in the areas that you wish to improve. But, I think New Year’s Resolutions can definitely be helpful and the spark that some people need to stay on track. Be a part of the 8% that set out, plan, and achieve their New Year’s Resolutions… You can do it!

I hope you guys found this post helpful. Please like, share, and subscribe to my blog. There are only 5 days left to enter into the HOLIDAY GIVE AWAY so make sure you are commenting, hitting that like button, and sharing on your social medias… as always, I greatly appreciate it. Thanks so much for reading and following along with Blogmas.

Happy Holidays, XO