With 2022 quickly wrapping up and New Year’s goals being top of mind, we wanted to put some ideas on your radar that will help you start 2023 off with a bang. While the concept of ‘resolutions’ is a never-ending question that people love to ask, it can also come with a lot of pressure if you find meeting those goals to be challenging and unattainable. So instead, we’ve got some ways that will help you be more productive and thus, you will find that those goals suddenly seem like they are within reach.
Journal
Journaling is one of the most important ways to take some time for yourself. Each morning, put five minutes aside to jot down three things that you’re grateful for, three things that would make the day great, and daily affirmations that show you that you’re important. These can be tasks like taking a walk, drinking enough water, preparing your meals for the next day and more - small victories are still victories! Then at night, take another five minutes where you’ll then jot down three things that made the day amazing, and something that would have made the day even better. Not only does this help you stay on track, but it also shows you potential fears and problems that you might not even recognize yourself.
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Timeline
While there are many claims out there about how long it might take to form a habit, Dr. Maxwell Maltz has stated that it takes about 21 days ‘for a mental image to dissolve,’ which means that a habit might not be built, but the negative thoughts associated with completing a certain task can dissolve within 21 days. So, instead of starting a new routine on January 1, start your routine in December so that your year is already off to a good start!
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Scheduling
Speaking from our own experience, when we don’t make notes and book time off in our own schedules, we tend to get confused and sometimes forget to follow through. That’s why reminding yourself to schedule your upcoming tasks, from a night of self-care to dinner with friends or even your dentist appointment, is important and can usually make you less stressed! Not only does this set a precedent for establishing a routine, but it relaxes you and even makes your goals more attainable with an added sense of achievement.
Google Calendar App on the App Store and Google Play
Moderation
It’s one of those words that everyone knows but we still tend to ignore. Ensuring that you’re setting goals but are inching towards them in tandem with moderation will make you realize how important it is to keep a hold of something you love. If you tell yourself you’re no longer allowed any junk food and will visit the gym five times per week, then burnout is far more likely to occur and you will feel incredibly low when the inevitable happens. Instead, tell yourself that once or twice a week, a bowl of chips while watching your favourite show will actually make you happy for treating yourself to what you’ve always enjoyed.
While challenging ourselves is always a great accomplishment, it is important to note that we need to know ourselves enough to understand if these goals are attainable or next to impossible. By making simple yet manageable goals and starting these habits before January 1, it helps us start the year off with muscle memory and in turn, they become easier to achieve. Help yourself start the year in the best possible way!
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