Spring - A Second Chance For A New You!
"3, 2, 1...Happy New Year!" Remember hearing this not that long ago? It signals the end of one year and a new bright beginning for another. And of course with New Years comes...say it with me...New Year's RESOLUTIONS!
So let me ask you this. Were you one of the millions of people that decided that very next day, January 1st, you were going to change your life? Were you motivated and excited and knew that this year would be the year for you to lose weight, quit smoking, stop drinking, eat better, etc.? You just knew nothing was going to stop you. You were going to be on fire, and crazy focused on your goal having nothing else in your sights but the sweet vision of victory...this time you were going to do it!
Now fast forward. How's that working out for you? If you're like most people your motivation starts to fade as life "gets in the way". Don't worry...you are not alone. While 52% of all of the participants in a resolution study believed that they would accomplish their goals, only 12% actually achieved them.
Now don't fret. Although New Year's may be long gone, we now have another chance. It's a little thing I like to call Spring, and in my opinion, it's the perfect time to make real changes. There's a noticeable change in the weather, the trees are coming back to life, the birds are singing, and the flowers start to bloom; why not jump right on that bandwagon of change and ride it all the way home?
To kick off this new adventure I have declared a holiday; a Spring "New Year's Eve" if you will. I call it "I-Blew-It-With-New-Years-But-Now-It's-Spring" day! It's a day of celebration and mapping out changes for our lives. This is your time! This time you are going to make the changes you so desire. This time you will succeed!
First: Decide on one goal at a time. If you want to eat better, exercise, quit smoking, spend more time with the family, get a raise, take more vacations...well, how can you even figure out where to start? Pick one.
Second: Set realistic goals. The goals need to be small and be able to really be worked into your life. If you don't have time to work out two hours a day but can manage thirty minutes on your lunch hour, that's what you aim for!
Third: Make a plan. Now that you have one single goal in mind, make a plan to accomplish it. Write it down, make it realistic, and set short term goals. One of my favorite authors, Brian Tracy, says to "focus on one goal and do something each and every day that works toward that goal".
Fourth: Expect setbacks. Life is full of sucker punches and curve balls; you have to expect these and know that if (and when) you get thrown off track you can just as easily jump right back on. Do not wait until a new week or month to "start again", start immediately. If you splurged on a big (unhealthy) lunch, don't get over-emotional about it, just hop back on board with a healthy dinner that evening.
Now that you have the tools, I want you to go forth and conquer! You can do this, I promise you. You are stronger than you think and can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Just take it slow, focus on one goal at a time and do something every day that gets you closer to that goal. New Year's is over but I-Blew-It -With-New-Years-But -Now-It's-Spring Day is here and it's your new start to ROCK IT!
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