Set your new year goals differently this time
Posted on: 01/Jan/2018 10:42:24 AM
With the advent of the new year, it is time to reflect and figure out ways to improve, whether you believe in resolutions or not. While there`s nothing wrong with setting goals, the thought process that goes into this saying does a disservice in that it doesn`t acknowledge the progress made previously. You don`t become a new person overnight. Your story carries over to the new year. Only this time, you`re wiser and you`re working to bring to life a better version of yourself.
Why don’t we set our goals differently this year?
Develop the habit that will guide you to the right actions. Think about what has worked well? What needs to be changed? Look at the past for insight into what you can improve. According to a leading behavioral psychologist, You MUST pick a small action. "Get more exercise" is not small. "Eat healthier" is not small. This is a big reason why New Year`s resolutions don`t work. For example, instead of "Get more exercise" choose "Walk 1/3 more than I usually do" or "Take the stairs each morning to get to my office, not the elevator".
You MUST attach the new action to a previous habit. The existing habit "Go for walk" now becomes the "cue" for the new habit: "Walk 10 more minutes." Your new "stimulus-response" is Go For Walk (Stimulus) followed by "Add 10 minutes."
You MUST make the new action EASY to do for at least the first week. Because you are trying to establish a conditioned response, you need to practice the new habit from the existing stimulus from 3 to 7 times before it will "stick" on its own.
When it comes to reaching your goals, think about your progress. Don`t worry if it`s taking longer than you thought. Did you learn new things? Did you get closer to the big picture? Every step you take counts and if you learn to track your actions and implement the feedback, you will get there faster.
Live Chennai wishes you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
