New Years Resolutions
At the start of every year half of American adults create “New Years Resolutions.” They make grand decisions to change for the better. Things like getting healthier or making more money. Research has shown that 80% of those people have give up on their resolution in the first month.I don’t believe that the changes we want to make are bad, infact quite the opposite – they are usually very good changes we are trying to make. Its that we are resolving to make a huge change to our lives for a whole year. That sounds awfully overwhelming to me!
No Years Resolutions
I propose that you make no years resolutions this year! Instead make 12 monthly habits (or goalbits as I call them). Think about where you are right now in your life. Are you healthy? Or do you need to exercise more often? Did you get a promotion at work this year? Are you stuck in the same boring job as last year? Do you have perfect teeth? Do you need to get dentures next year? Whatever it is, you are where you are right now because of what you did every day last year not for a couple of weeks last January.
“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle.
“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle.
Research has shown that 40% of our daily actions are based on habits and routines, not newly formed decisions. Habits don’t care if they are good for you or bad. Its totally up to you. You choose your habits. So that means if you choose the right habits you can make real change in your life without really thinking about it. Doesn’t that sound easier than making a big, hard, resolution to change?
Goalbits
How can you started on creating a goalbit?
Define your goal. Don’t just create a random habit and hope it will help you, create a specific habit, create a goal-based habit. Good goals are short, specific and scheduled.
Create your goalbit. Find a specific habit, a goal-based habit, that you can do every day to help achieve your goal. Good goalbits (or habits) should be small, simple and sustainable. Then find a trigger for your goalbit.
Persevere. A goalbit (or habit) can take 66 days to form. Track your daily progress. Post a picture of your goal to keep you motivated.
