Made a New Year’s resolution you didn’t keep?
We’ve all done it. My Orangetheory was packed last week then my girlfriend called because she couldn’t get into yoga with everyone signing up. We talked about how much quieter things would be in a few weeks as people fell off their resolutions.
We set these goals for ourselves with the BEST intentions but a few weeks later find ourselves back where we were. Or perhaps, we keep some but fail at others.
When I went to make my 2019 resolutions it finally hit me why we struggle so much.
We make our resolutions without thinking about the bigger reason we’re making them in the first place. We don’t put them in the context of our bigger life goals.
Most of us have a general idea what we want from life in terms of family, relationship, career, etc. But are we really that clear?
I listened to several books on personal growth last year and a common theme was the importance of having a ‘Vision Board’ for your life- a clear visual picture of where you want to ultimately end up.
Adidas sweatshirt // Alo leggings (another great option here) // Adidas sneakers here and here // Similar beanie // Water bottle (also love this one)
I guess it makes sense right? We have to know where we’re going in order to actually get there. This weekend I finally made my own little board which put below. Once I had it in place, making my 2019 resolutions became a lot easier. Finally my 2019 money goals are part of a bigger financial plan and this year’s career goals are stepping stones to my ultimate dream job.
So if your Vision Board is the place you want to end up, New Year’s goals are steps to get there. Now there’s a bigger purpose beyond just ‘getting in shape’ or ‘getting more sleep’.
Post your vision board where you’ll see it every day. Some people put it on the back door of their closet where only they can see it. Mine is hanging on the wall above my desk.
PowerPoint is what worked for mine (lol!) but I know a lot of people enjoy getting more crafty.
Best of luck crushing your ’19 goals- and more importantly the bigger life goals driving them! I’m here to cheer you on every step of the way if I can.
Love always,
Terra
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Photos c/o N. Mickle Photography
Love your board! So something I would love to do!
Briana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/
Author
Thank you Briana. It’s a fun little exercise (and helpful). 🙂 Hope you have a great week!
Good idea Terra! I think another problem is making them too vague. Instead of “work out more” or “get fit”, I do better if it’s something specific. Like “go to the gym twice a week”. Also if they’re hard, I’ll flake every time! If I try to say I’m gonna go to the gym several times a week (or realistically even two), I’ll fail miserably! But if I make my goal super easy (one time a week), I’ll actually go more! Maybe because I feel like I’m achieving my goal versus falling short?
Here’s hoping we all meet our goals this year— and stop to enjoy life along the way!
Author
That’s a really good point Megan. I’ve done that a lot in the past where I set an unrealistic goal, don’t achieve it and feel down on myself then don’t set a new goal. To your point, setting goals we can actually achieve gets us feeling accomplished and more motivated for the next one. I read something recently that you shouldn’t have more than 5-7 things on your to do list for the day. I thought that sounded crazy at first because I normally write out these long lists. I started doing it though and it was the same kind of thing- I could actually finish or almost finish my list and I felt like I got so much more done. Crazy how the mind works isn’t it? <3