New Years Day Can Be Any Day!
December 30, 2012New Years Day Can Be Any Day, Start Today!
New Years Day is a day that is considered a new beginning. We set this day up as a time to change our lives in many ways. We do this by creating resolutions (i.e., a firmness of mind or purpose) that we use to meet our goals (i.e., some desired achievement).
For too many, a resolution is synonymous with setting ourselves up for failure. Many times our goals are to lose weight, exercise, and get back on track with our healthy lifestyle. For whatever reason, most New Year's resolutions go by the wayside a few weeks into the New Year. We lose our resolve.
At this time of year, it is traditional to decide on the priorities for the year. There is no magic in New Years Day. In fact, to set goals and make changes in our lives, we aren't limited to New Years Day at all. As a former resolution maker, I can tell you from personal experience that New Years is just another day. No magic, no superpower in the day, or any other special quality is unique to this time of year. Really, New Year's Day can be any day of the year you choose.
Don't limit yourself by a day of the year or a particular day of the week (you remember the Monday morning, I'll start my diet promises?). You can do the same thing on any day of any month. You can resolve to make or meet goals in February, May, or even in September. New Years Day is just another day. You have 365 opportunities to make your own New Years Day for a new beginning.
Whether you are reading (or re-reading) this in January or October, today can be your own New Years Day. You can focus on your priorities and set goals.
Common Goals
1. To improve your life: Make it a balanced plan with desires in each area of your life. Set goals focused on the physical, social, educational, financial, mental, emotional, and spiritual areas of your life. Once you have decided on the priorities, assign a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual review to check your progress.
2. To lose weight: Setting a goal to lose, for example, 100 pounds, isn't specific enough. Break down the general goal into smaller more realistic steps. Create goals such as to lose 10% of your body weight by a set date. Make action items you can do to reach the goal. These action items might include not to drink with your meals, eliminate grazing, or eat a certain number of protein grams daily. These are attainable steps you can track and stick with.
3. Exercise more: If you set the goal to exercise more, it needs to be realistic, attainable, and progressive. If you haven't been exercising for a period of time, start out small and increase gradually. If you start off by exercising every day for an hour, you may quickly burn out.
Increase your chances of success by remembering that effective goal attainment is a process. When it comes to goals, think in terms of the turtle versus the hare. Slow and steady will win the race to goal success.
Me Minutes
Use your Me Minutes by giving yourself some time for thoughtful reflection and consideration of your goals, whatever the day is. Give your goals a solid foundation by writing them down or to input into an online journal. Make a plan with your goals that includes realistic action steps that you will take. Monitor your progress on a regular basis. Make today, right now, your New Year's Day.
Don't wait for any magic date to make any changes in your life. You are all the magic you need to attain success.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
