New Years Resolutions- 2015 Edition
It's that time again, the New Years Resolutions blog post, JV style. This year I decided my long diatribe about setting goals would look far too similar to last year's diatribe. So instead, I'm getting right to the point. Here are some practical tips to help you reach a few of the more common goals we tend to make as our resolutions.
1. "I want to workout and lose weight." Go see a doctor and get a full check-up first. Talk to him or her about your desire to lose weight and get their approval before beginning any significant workout program, especially if you haven't exercised in a long time. Discuss attainable goals and a practical timeline. If it took you 20 years to gain the weight, you are not going to look like a fitness model in the first month of your weightloss and fitness experience. Sorry, there's no magic pill and any infomercial that promises you 6 minute abs is lying. Buy one of those month-by-month calendars and plan your workouts ahead of time. Prepare your meals ahead of time too. Do it when you're most focused and inspired. For me, it happens to be on Sundays as I look to the week ahead. Then, get up and get to it. If you know you're going to have trouble sticking to it, hire a trainer or ask a friend with similar goals to workout with you. There is less chance you'll miss your workouts if you know someone is at the gym waiting for you. Finally, celebrate your small goals. Don't wait till you lose 40lbs to recognize your success, but don't go celebrating with a week-long food bender either. Celebrate in healthy ways.
2. "I want to quit smoking." I've never been a smoker so I can't tell you I'm an expert. But as the son of a lifelong smoker who tried and failed to quit many times, I can surely appreciate how incredibly difficult it must be to stop. From what I gather, it starts at the doctor as well. Let him or her know what you want to do. There are so many cessation programs which have shown great success. It really is a combination of support systems, patches or gums, and changes in deep rooted habits that will help you succeed. Ultimately though, if you've tried once or you've tried a thousand times, isn't 2015 a great year to try again? Please try again.
3. "I want a new job or a promotion." This is really two separate items but they both have similar advice. What are you willing to do different to attain something new? Have you gone back to school if your profession requires it for a promotion? Are you developing new skills? Are you taking on additional projects and being a value-add in the office? You're not going to get a new job or a promotion just by wishing for it. Make yourself so valuable that a new employer will be wanting to scoop you up or so that your manager is so impressed with your performance he or she gives you that promotion you've earned.
4. "I want more money." There's three ways to make more money (legally); actually make more money at your job via a promotion or additional hours, win the lottery or receive an inheritance, or diminish your bills. Let's assume the lotto doesn't happen for you in 2015 (although I'm rooting for you), and let's recognize promotions and extra hours are out of your control to freely choose. The one thing you have absolute control over is how you spend your money. You might have a mountain of debt right now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you're willing to roll your sleeves up and do the hard work to pay it off. First, figure out what you actually owe (a trusted financial counselor might be able to assist you), then develop a plan to pay it off, and finally, stick to it like your life depends on it. I've always seen a bill paid off as a little raise in my pay and a step closer to financial freedom. Additionally, don't add more to your debt than you have to. I remember a time when I would literally freeze all my credit cards in a small container of water. I knew how impulsive I could be but I knew if I just gave myself a little time to think, I wouldn't buy that stupid "thing" that I absolutely HAD to have. So I put my cards on ice. Yes I had a few instances where I took an ice pick and hot water to that container, but halfway through that block of ice I'd finally come to my senses. I'm not saying it will work for you or that it's the most sensible thing to do, but it worked for me. Find ways to curb unnecessary spending however you deem appropriate.
5. Finally, this is rarely anyone's resolution but this is my wish for you; that whatever you resolve to do this year, you face it with a spirit of positivity. Well known motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to say "positive thinking won't let you do anything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Whatever your resolutions, whatever your goals, I promise you this; taking them on with positivity and optimism will absolutely give you a better chance at succeeding. I believe in you friend. You just have to believe in yourself.
1. "I want to workout and lose weight." Go see a doctor and get a full check-up first. Talk to him or her about your desire to lose weight and get their approval before beginning any significant workout program, especially if you haven't exercised in a long time. Discuss attainable goals and a practical timeline. If it took you 20 years to gain the weight, you are not going to look like a fitness model in the first month of your weightloss and fitness experience. Sorry, there's no magic pill and any infomercial that promises you 6 minute abs is lying. Buy one of those month-by-month calendars and plan your workouts ahead of time. Prepare your meals ahead of time too. Do it when you're most focused and inspired. For me, it happens to be on Sundays as I look to the week ahead. Then, get up and get to it. If you know you're going to have trouble sticking to it, hire a trainer or ask a friend with similar goals to workout with you. There is less chance you'll miss your workouts if you know someone is at the gym waiting for you. Finally, celebrate your small goals. Don't wait till you lose 40lbs to recognize your success, but don't go celebrating with a week-long food bender either. Celebrate in healthy ways.
2. "I want to quit smoking." I've never been a smoker so I can't tell you I'm an expert. But as the son of a lifelong smoker who tried and failed to quit many times, I can surely appreciate how incredibly difficult it must be to stop. From what I gather, it starts at the doctor as well. Let him or her know what you want to do. There are so many cessation programs which have shown great success. It really is a combination of support systems, patches or gums, and changes in deep rooted habits that will help you succeed. Ultimately though, if you've tried once or you've tried a thousand times, isn't 2015 a great year to try again? Please try again.
3. "I want a new job or a promotion." This is really two separate items but they both have similar advice. What are you willing to do different to attain something new? Have you gone back to school if your profession requires it for a promotion? Are you developing new skills? Are you taking on additional projects and being a value-add in the office? You're not going to get a new job or a promotion just by wishing for it. Make yourself so valuable that a new employer will be wanting to scoop you up or so that your manager is so impressed with your performance he or she gives you that promotion you've earned.
4. "I want more money." There's three ways to make more money (legally); actually make more money at your job via a promotion or additional hours, win the lottery or receive an inheritance, or diminish your bills. Let's assume the lotto doesn't happen for you in 2015 (although I'm rooting for you), and let's recognize promotions and extra hours are out of your control to freely choose. The one thing you have absolute control over is how you spend your money. You might have a mountain of debt right now, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you're willing to roll your sleeves up and do the hard work to pay it off. First, figure out what you actually owe (a trusted financial counselor might be able to assist you), then develop a plan to pay it off, and finally, stick to it like your life depends on it. I've always seen a bill paid off as a little raise in my pay and a step closer to financial freedom. Additionally, don't add more to your debt than you have to. I remember a time when I would literally freeze all my credit cards in a small container of water. I knew how impulsive I could be but I knew if I just gave myself a little time to think, I wouldn't buy that stupid "thing" that I absolutely HAD to have. So I put my cards on ice. Yes I had a few instances where I took an ice pick and hot water to that container, but halfway through that block of ice I'd finally come to my senses. I'm not saying it will work for you or that it's the most sensible thing to do, but it worked for me. Find ways to curb unnecessary spending however you deem appropriate.
5. Finally, this is rarely anyone's resolution but this is my wish for you; that whatever you resolve to do this year, you face it with a spirit of positivity. Well known motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to say "positive thinking won't let you do anything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. Whatever your resolutions, whatever your goals, I promise you this; taking them on with positivity and optimism will absolutely give you a better chance at succeeding. I believe in you friend. You just have to believe in yourself.
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