NEW YEAR'S WHAT??? 4 Tips For Getting On Track and Staying There

By the time March rolls around, New Year's resolutions may be all but forgotten.  

Focus and momentum have waned. Life's gotten in the way.   And some commitments have landed on the back burner, for "another" day.

Sound familiar?  If so, don’t throw in the towel.  There's still time.  

Here are four tips to help you get back on track and stay the course.

Tip # 1  -  Think Gifts!

If your New Year’s resolution has fallen off your radar, it may be that thinking about it as a resolution isn't helping.   

The word "resolution" in this context can feel heavy, staid and a bit of drag. Especially if it's a carry over from the previous year.  

The word “gift,” on the other hand, feels fresh, promiseful, even uplifting. It's a subtle distinction, perhaps, but quite possibly the difference between thinking about what you should do and actually doing what you want to do.  

What if instead of resolving to lose 20 lbs this year, you gave yourself the gift of health and wellbeing?  

How would you feel?  Hopeful? Inspired? 

Or, what if, instead of resolving to get out of debt, you committed to giving yourself the gift of financial freedom?   Can you envision the relief and satisfaction you'd feel?  

How we language what we want for ourselves matters. So, try reframing your 2016 resolutions as gifts and see what happens. 

By the way, if nothing comes to mind, imagine it’s December 31, 2016, and you’re looking back on your year. What do you wish you had done?  What would have made you proud? As you consider the possibilities, notice what puts a smile on your face -- what leaves you thinking, wow, that’d be amazing. 

That answer is the gift.  

Tip # 2  -  Set Meaningful Milestones.

For some, the word goal evokes excitement and hope.  For others, it triggers feelings of resistance, pressure, even panic -- about committing to the wrong thing and/or failing to follow through.

If setting goals stops you in your tracks, set milestones.   

Milestones convey a sense of direction and momentum.  They mark your progress along the road to completion -- where you are now vis a vis where you were.

They keep a vision of your future on your radar.

So, for example, if your 2016 gift is health and well being, start by thinking about what that would look like for you. What milestones do you want to accomplish along your journey to health and well being?  Running a race? Losing a dress size? Eliminating sugar?

Brainstorm as many milestones as you can. How close are the intervals? Are they achievable? Are the related to your gift? What will inspire you?

The best milestones are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely and exciting. Think SMART-E.  ​

If weight loss is your gift, one milestone might be purchasing a new dress in a smaller size every two months.  Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely.  And exciting.  By the end of the year not only will you feel better, you'll have some new additions in your wardrobe!

Get creative.  Swing out.  Write down as many milestones as you can think of.   

Then, read them out loud.  If it feels like you’re reading a shopping list, re-write them.  If they don’t resonate, go back and find ones that do.  

Make them them fun and build in rewards as incentives.   The specific actions you'll need to reach your milestone will become clear if the milestones themselves are meaningful and exciting enough.

Importantly, if you find yourself losing momentum, go back and tweak them until you feel inspired and motivated again.  

Tip # 3 -  Partner Up!

One of the best ways to stay the course is to have people in place to support you.  People who want you to succeed.  

Could be a mentor, a coach, or a trusted advisor.  Could be friends who are equally committed to a transformative 2016.

Share with them what you are giving yourself this year.  

There’s power in declaring what you’re committing to.  

Ask your partners to hold you accountable for meeting your milestones.  

Let them know how they can do that. You might commit to sending them regular updates, or ask them to check in with you.  

Be an accountability partner for someone else.  

Helping someone else stay on track will help you stay on track.  If a friend or colleague has committed to a better 2016, set up a regular call or in-person meeting to find out what kind of support you can offer.

Use your partners to brainstorm and champion you.

Then celebrate with them!  

Tip # 4 -  Keep Going.
​
There will always be setbacks.  

We will lose track of what we wanted, amidst the busy-ness of life, or we'll make up stories about why it's not possible.  

Because we're human, and that's what we do.

AND, when you do . . . keep going.

The unanticipated is a heartbeat away, distracting us and demanding our attention when we least expect it.

The important thing is to take stock of what got in the way, learn from it, decide how you want to handle it and keep going.

Without judgment.

Nothing terrible happened.  

You just got off course.  

​And, whatever has or has not been done is over.

Simply start again from where you are.  

The ability to start out upon your own impulse is fundamental to the gift of keeping going upon your own terms. . . . Getting started, keeping going, getting started again— in art and in life, it seems to me this is the essential rhythm.                                         — Seamus Heaney, poet

Lastly,

Re-engaging is a life skill that will look different depending on our circumstances. 

There’s no magic formula.

Some approaches will work sometimes; others will work other times.  

Get curious about what’s working when you’re in action and notice where you get tripped up. No one knows better than you what will work to keep you engaged.  Trust that, and keep going!  

OVER TO YOU 

How do you re-engage?


What approaches work best for you?