How to Turn Your New Year’s Resolutions into Reality
Change consultant and coach, Wanda Möller.
Show Yourself Some Love and Reflect
As we have welcomed February, it is time to show yourself some love and reflect on your New Year’s resolutions. The potential of the New Year has served as a launching pad for envisioning a brighter future; whether you want to sober up, slim down, increase your life satisfaction or achieve success in 2024.
But most New Year’s resolutions do not work, because they often lack a realistic plan and action steps. As James Clear states in his book Atomic Habits: “New goals don’t deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process, not an outcome. For this reason, all of your energy should go into building better habits, not chasing better results.”
So instead of just making resolutions, make plans and write down your goals that will provide a road-map for personal development and self-improvement. “Smart” goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Whether it is adopting a healthier lifestyle, advancing in one’s career, fostering stronger relationships, or embarking on new adventures, resolutions act as tangible commitments to change.
Turn Resolutions into Realistic Plans
The process of setting and striving to achieve these goals instils a sense of purpose, motivation, resilience, and trust in yourself. Here’s how you can turn your resolutions into reality:
1. Be Specific and Clear
Vague goals lead to vague results, and you will soon lose interest. It is vital to have a clear and specific road-map on your journey towards goal accomplishment. If your objective is to lose weight, determine exactly how many kilogrammes you want to lose and in what time frame. This precision enables you to craft a realistic and focused plan. Specific goals also offer a clear measure of success, allowing you to celebrate the victories along the way. Remember, the more precise the goal, the clearer the path to achieving it.
2. Break it Down
Large goals can be intimidating and can lead to procrastination or overwhelm. The antidote is breaking these larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks or milestones. If writing a book is your goal, break it into writing a certain number of words or pages each day or week. If you want to lose 10 kilogrammes, break it down to two kilogrammes per month. This approach not only makes the goal less intimidating, but also offers a series of achievable victories, keeping your motivation and momentum high.
3. Set a Timeline
By assigning a specific timeline or deadline to your tasks and overall goal, you create a sense of urgency and commitment. A timeline acts as a personal accountability partner nudging you forward. It helps in planning your daily or weekly tasks and in prioritising your work. Just ensure that your timeline is realistic and flexible enough to accommodate life’s volatility while still challenging you to move forward.
4. Track Your Progress
There’s a famous saying: “What gets measured, gets managed.” Regularly tracking your progress helps you understand what is working. This process involves not just celebrating the progress towards your goals, but also revisiting and revising strategies that are not working. Use tools like journalling, apps, a habit tracker, or spreadsheets to keep track of your progress. Tracking how far you have come can be a significant motivator, and getting a clear understanding of the roadblocks and difficulties you will encounter along the way, can help you navigate them more effectively.
5. Find Your “Why”
Your “why” is the driving force behind your goals. It’s the deep-rooted reason and purpose why you have set the goal(s) for yourself. Whether it is to improve your health, provide for your family, or achieve personal growth, this intrinsic motivation is what will push you to continue even when external rewards are not immediate. Regularly remind yourself of why you started and envision the satisfaction and benefits of achieving your goal.
6. Be Prepared for Challenges
Change is difficult. Visualise yourself achieving your goals and as you look back on the journey, identify the potential obstacles you may have had to overcome. This will help you prepare strategies to be prepared. If you tend to lose motivation without immediate results, find ways to celebrate small wins. If life’s unexpected events often disrupt your plans, think ahead about flexible routines or support systems you can rely on. It is also normal to fall back into old familiar patterns of behaviour and coping mechanisms when you encounter difficulties in life. Being prepared for challenges doesn’t mean dwelling on the negative; it means being realistic and resilient.
7. Seek Support
The journey is more enjoyable and viable with support. Share your goals with supportive friends or family who will hold you accountable and encourage you. Engage with a coach or mentor based on their experience, or with a support group that aligns with your goals. Sharing your journey with others offers not just support but also valuable learning from their experiences. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness but a strategy for success.
- Wanda Möller is a certified life transformation coach, a qualified social worker and holds an MBA (cum laude) from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Möller recently relocated to Strand and provides online and in-person coaching services for individuals who strive to make life changes.
- As executive director of Courage Consulting & Coaching, Möller is offering a free introductory coaching session for 20 DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette readers. To arrange an appointment, call 082 373 1744.