Do New Year’s Resolutions Work?

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​​​​Ever set a New Year’s Resolution and not achieved it?

You’re not alone!

88% of people give up on their New Year’s Resolutions!

And 50% have already failed by the 31 January. Yikes!!

So is it worthwhile setting goals at the beginning of the year?

The answer is YES! YES! and YES!

Why? Because we know from a 2017 Harvard Business study, that the 3% of people who have written goals are a whopping 30 times more successful than those who don’t!

And goals set at the beginning of the year are more likely to be achieved then goals set at other times!

Wow! So just writing down your goals makes a massive difference and it’s a good idea to do that at the beginning of the year.

And it is better to write a goal rather than have a resolution – more on that later.

But that’s not the end of the story.

Here are 7 of the best tips for ensuring you get what you want in 2019.

1.     REMEMBER BALANCE

Ever set a business or financial goal, only to find in the pursuit of it you neglected your family and health?

This is very common because many people only set goals in their career and then wonder why other parts of their life are not working.

It is best to have a balance between your work and personal life and set goals in all important areas.

In fact, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that the majority of Australians want work life balance as their top priority, above health, education and even safety!

So in 2019 set a success, love and happiness goal to ensure balance.

2.     MAKE SURE IT’S YOUR GOAL

Ever set a goal because someone else is harassing you or you have compared yourself to your friend’s success?

Hmm another common goal setting problem.

Many people are confused about what will make them happy, so they look to other people to see what is important and then assume that will work for them as well.

In 2019 remember times you were happy or proud of yourself and then set some goals that will give you that same feeling now.

3.     MAKE SURE YOUR GOAL IS ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT AND NOT WHAT YOU DON’T WANT

Ever thought: ‘I wish I had no debt’ or ‘lost weight’ or was ‘less stressed’?

Unfortunately, this kind of language sets you up for failure.

In order for the mind to process ‘no’, ‘lost’ or ‘less’, it first had to get a picture of ‘debt’, ‘weight’ and ‘stressed’.

So, you are basically focusing on what you don’t want!

And when you get a picture of these things, you usually have a bunch of negative emotions that go with them. Ahhhh!

This is also one of the big differences between setting a goal and having a resolution. Resolutions are often what you are moving away from while a good goal is what you are moving towards.

In 2019:

  • Instead of: ‘No debt’ – Think about how much money you would need to earn so that you would not have debt.
    • Eg I am so excited I am earning $___________ and it is on or before 31 December 2019.
  • Instead of: ‘Lost weight’ – Think about the target weight you would like to be.
    • Eg I feel so energised and terrific because I am now a healthy _______ kilos and it is on or before 31 December 2019.​​
  • Instead of: ‘Less Stressed’ – Think about how much time out you need in a week to relax
    • Eg I am so relaxed and rejuvenated because I have weekends with my loved ones and my work hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday. I also have Sunday afternoon to myself as free time to do whatever I want. I also do yoga every Thursday afternoon and have a massage every second Wednesday and it is on or before 31 December 2019.

Hmm I do love that last one in particular. I think I will have that for myself.

Hang on a minute, that’s what I did last year – I am going to roll that one out again, with improvements!!!

4.     MILESTONES

Ever been so overwhelmed by your goal and that you ended up procrastinating?

Big goals with a long time frame can end up in the ‘too hard’ basket.

The distance between where you are now and where you want to be is too big and the reward for achievement too far away.

In fact, Richard Wiseman at the University of Bristol discovered that you are 22% more likely to achieve your goal if: “resolutions are made in terms of small and measurable goals”.

To solve this problem, break the goal down into smaller chunks or milestones, where you feel like you are making successful progress.

5.     MAKE YOUR GOALS A PART OF YOUR DAILY LIFE

Ever become so busy with daily life you completely forgot your goals?

If you write a goal on a piece of paper, it’s too easy to put it aside and not look at it again.

Instead in 2019, get a diary/journal where you can write down your 90-day action plan and translate it into monthly, weekly and daily planners.

Then you can ensure your daily To Do List and activities are bringing you closer to what you really want rather than just keeping you busy.

6.     MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS

Ever started off on your goal really enthusiastically only to find your motivation waning as time goes by?

If your goal is vague and generalised it is too easy to slacken off!

But if you have a clear goal and measure your progress in your trusty journal you are much more likely to continue when times get tough.

This is because you can see at least some progress, you don’t want to see that work go to waste.

So, if you do fall off the wagon for a short time, you are more likely to get back on before you lose any more ground.

When you do succeed you also get a mighty dopamine hit (reward hormone) from seeing achievement which motivates you to continue.

7.     GOOD OLD SMART GOALS ACTUALLY WORK

Yep you remember SMART Goals, you have probably set them in every personal development program you have ever attended.

Why? Because they work!

And if you work in a successful organisation you would be setting them there as well, but sometimes when something is everywhere we don’t remember its magic.

Long before The Secret and the Law of Attraction became popular the SMART Goal was actually helping people to get what they want.

So let’s just revise it:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – As if now

R – Realistic

T – Timed

So you may have noticed that the goals I mentioned in point 3 are all SMART Goals but just in case you can’t be bothered scrolling back up, here is my favourite one again.

I am so relaxed and rejuvenated because I have weekends with my loved ones and my week day work hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm. I also have Sunday afternoon to myself as free time to do whatever I want. I also do yoga every Thursday afternoon and have a massage every second Wednesday and it is on or before 31 December 2019.

Remember to set at least 3 goals to gain balance in the areas of success, love and happiness.

And have a fantastic 2019.

Would you like more valuable information about how you can have success, love and happiness in your life and create greater work/life balance?

This  incredible FREE 1 Day Event is in the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Sydney and Melbourne.

At this event we give you a step-by-step blueprint of how you can get what you want and enjoy the process.

It combines the best of ancient wisdom with the latest research in neuro-science to give you profound and practical insights into making change and gaining greater happiness.

To book click here 

And when you turn up to the event and stay to the end you also receive a FREE beautiful paperback copy of my Amazon Number 1 best selling, award winning book called the 8 Principles of Achievement, Love and Happiness usually sold for $29.95!

Book now before the events book out!

Lots of love Pip

PS: Remember that a love goal can always be self-love goal – perhaps the most important goal of all!

PPS: If you want more tips on how to get success, love and happiness in 2019 come to our FREE Success Love and Happiness 1 Day Event Click Here​​​​​​​

 

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