Dr. Eris,
Every year I set tons of goals for myself. The problem is that once February 1st rolls around, I totally forget that I even had any New Years resolutions. Last year I set a goal to quit smoking. Do you think I did? NO! In fact, I went from ½ a pack to a pack. This year I want to quit smoking, and get into the gym 5 days a week. I also want to quit my shopaholism before I get into debt. Maybe I need to get a job so that I have some extra cash and not spend all of my student loan money on going out. I don’t know how to go about attaining these goals. Help, please.
Dr. Eris Suggests,
Most people forget their New Years goals by the stroke of Midnight on January 2nd. Whether you have New Years resolutions or not, goals are important. They help us move forward in life. Many of us have dreams of getting somewhere, but we do not have a map of how to get there. Making your resolutions is just your starting point. The key is following through with your goals and resolutions and this takes making a plan.
1. Set a goal
2. Create a plan
3. Why wait…make your plan immediately after you set the goal or else you will forget.
4. Type or write the plan down. This makes you accountable and makes the goal official.
5. Be flexible, realistic and reasonable with your goals. (For example maybe you don’t want to set your goal to working out 5 days a week immediately. Start slowly with 2 days a week and then work your way up if you so choose.) Try not to say I will NEVER do ___________ again. This can set you up for failure.
6. Follow through with your goals.
The first thing in achieving a goal is to have a strong commitment to your goal and what you want to change. Then, it is important to have a strategy on how you will deal with things that will stand in your way of achieving your goals. Lastly, keep track of your progress. Remember: all things in moderation.
Here is an example of how you can write down your goals clearly:
Goal: ______________________________
Steps I need to get there
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NOW FOLLOW THROUGH WITH YOUR STEPS.
Confucius say “ To make change, take baby steps.”
