Resolutions and Realizations

Another year has come and gone so quickly! With the remaining days rolling by and the New Year around the corner, many start to consider resolutions. I am someone who has always fell prey to holding and setting extremely high standards when it comes to New Year’s goals. In the past, I seem to set a whole laundry list of goals that tend to be a bit lofty. For 2018, I want to work on my goal setting process to help guide me in the right direction. Here are some notes I made to myself while writing my resolutions to aid in the follow through and to get me excited about the journey.

Visualize the plan and results.

My goal list tends to become pretty lengthy once January 1^st hits. I may find myself doing well for the first week or even for the whole month. Then February happens and I wind up “taking a cheat day” that ends up lasting well beyond Valentine’s Day dinner and treats. What I start to notice looking back at old resolutions is that I don’t think about the end result and what that actually means to me. Is this goal something that I actually want to attain and am I going to be committed enough to make the changes I need to get to the result? Considering these questions as I make my goal list will cut down on the number and help me to see what goals are most important to me. Once the list is complete, I can focus on a plan of execution.

New Year’s resolutions need to be carefully planned and the result should be considered throughout. Especially when it comes to weight loss or fitness goals, I now know that I need to have checkpoints. Instead of looking at the full number in pounds lost, inches lost, or body fat percentage lost, I will need to set up trackers to conquer small goals along the way to the final result. This way I don’t get halfway through the year and think, “Wow, I was supposed to lose X amount of weight by now,” or whatever the goal may be. I need small victories that with help me through the weeks or months leading to a well-defined result. So, for next year, I am going to set up a well thought-out plan with bi-weekly checkpoints. I will have “mini-goals” set up for each of these checkpoints and prizes for myself if I get there. This will give me something to be excited about when I complete them. Most importantly, I will be writing down my goals (mini and end) and coming up with a tracker in my planner so I can mark them off as I complete them. (Side note: I use a system that will allow for this tracking. It’s called Bullet Journaling and it has changed my life! Find out about this awesome system at www.bulletjournal.com)

What’s stopping me?

What will stop me from achieving my goals? For 2018, not only will I be writing down my goals, but I’m also going to list what people, places, or things that could hinder my success. Once I have a list, I will make a plan for each thing listed on how I will conquer that specific downfall. For example, something that could stop me from completing one of my resolutions is sweets. I know I can give up sweets, as I have done it before in the past. To ward off these cravings I have a series of pictures and plans that I can go to that will remind me why I choose not to cave in. Having these accessible throughout the day will help to remind me why I want to keep going and distract me from thinking about sugary treats!

Create recovery plan.

If circumstances permit, I could fall and an old habit could win. I want to put some Plan Bs in place to deal with the times that I may allow myself a day or hour of activities that are not in-line with my goals. It is important to not deprive yourself of things that you enjoy from time to time, whether it is a night out with friends or that giant cookie. Having a recovery plan in place can lessen the feelings of disappointment that come afterwards. I know that I need to be more compassionate towards myself when I take a wrong turn. Going forward, I want to explore the feelings and emotions leading up to the fallback. Reflecting on and journaling my thought process can give me some insight as to why I resorted to my old ways. Then, the documentation can serve as a reminder that I can go to if I have those same thoughts come up to keep those bad habits at bay.

This is just a glimpse of the considerations I had while making my goal list. I hope these notes help you in writing your own goals for 2018 or at least give you a place to start. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Resources

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/experimentations/201712/10-steps-new-years-resolution-success

Janae Shillito, Project Coordinator, The Kim Foundation

Janae Shillito is the newest edition to The Kim Foundation and serves as Project Coordinator. She holds two science degrees with her alma maters including the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Janae’s love of volunteering and helping those without a voice created a strong desire to become a part of the non-profit world. She enjoys instructing kickboxing classes, reading a good book, and being outside with her husband, Cory, and Rottweiler, Hank.