{"id":324,"date":"2018-01-15T09:04:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-15T09:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/?p=324"},"modified":"2018-01-15T09:04:48","modified_gmt":"2018-01-15T09:04:48","slug":"creating-new-year-resolutions-that-stick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/2018\/01\/15\/creating-new-year-resolutions-that-stick\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating New Year Resolutions That Stick"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a brand New Year and with it comes the opportunity to improve your life and to achieve new things.\u00a0 But all too often New Year resolutions fall flat before the end of January and then the year ticks on and before you know it it\u2019s December again.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips to help you create New Year resolutions which will last beyond January and even allow you to actually achieve those much-dreamed of goals.<\/p>\n<p>The trick is to set specific goals. You\u2019ve probably heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals \u2013 they are not only effective in business but can also be applied to your personal goals.\u00a0 They are designed to provide structure and guidance which will allow you better identify with what you want to accomplish.\u00a0Originally published by a consultant, George T. Doran in 1981.<\/p>\n<p><strong>S \u2013 SPECIFIC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be specific in what you wish to achieve. What is the end-result that you desire? For example if your goal is to lose weight, stipulate your ideal weight and create a realistic calendar which will get you there by a specific date.<\/p>\n<p><strong>M \u2013 MEASURABLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What metrics will you use to measure your goal? Again, if your goal is to lose weight then the metric would be weight loss in Kilograms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A \u2013 ACHIEVABLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>How will you achieve this goal? Do you have the tools needed to reach that?\u00a0 If not, then how will you go about getting the tools you need?\u00a0 In our weight loss example, you may need to join a gym or at least ensure that you can free your day at a specific time to go for a walk or to exercise.<\/p>\n<p><strong>R \u2013 RELEVANT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Is this goal relevant to you and your lifestyle?<\/p>\n<p><strong>T \u2013 TIME BASED<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Anyone can set goals, but if it lacks realistic timing, the chances are that you\u2019re not going to succeed. By setting an end date this will make you accountable and will allow you to plan the realistic milestones.\u00a0 Plot out what you need to achieve by each milestone and track your progress to ensure that you stay on track.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tips to keep you focused<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips to keep you focused<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start small \u2013 set smaller, more frequent and more realistic goals. Do more of that instead of setting 1 huge daunting goal. Smaller victories along the way will make the journey easier.<\/li>\n<li>Focus on 1 or 2 achievable goals at a time \u2013 you don\u2019t have to do it all at once. Prioritise and work accordingly.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t beat yourself up \u2013 if you stumble, dust yourself off and keep going. Consistency is more realistic than perfection.<\/li>\n<li>Write down your goals and put them where you can see them often i.e on your fridge or on your mobile phone\u2019s home screen.<\/li>\n<li>Read them daily \u2013 preferably first thing in the morning. Some experts say it\u2019s ideal to visit them first thing in the morning and last thing at night but if this is not possible find a system that works for you and do it daily.<\/li>\n<li>Track your progress \u2013 if possible track your progress daily or at least weekly to ensure that you are on track. Revisit this monthly to show your progress so far.<\/li>\n<li>Talk about it \u2013 tell your family and friends about your goal. This way they will be more supportive when you refuse that second helping.<\/li>\n<li>Reward your progress \u2013 use your milestones to reward yourself and keep you motivated. Buy those shoes you wanted or go away for that weekend away but keep your eye on the end result.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can do this! Even the most daunting journey starts with a first step.\u00a0 Make this your best year yet.<\/p>\n<p>This is a summary of S.M.A.R.T. goals \u2013 for a more comprehensive article you can visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smartsheet.com\/blog\/essential-guide-writing-smart-goals\">https:\/\/www.smartsheet.com\/blog\/essential-guide-writing-smart-goals<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; It\u2019s a brand New Year and with it comes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[23,22,21],"class_list":["post-324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-new-year","tag-resolutions","tag-weight-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=324"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":327,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/324\/revisions\/327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shrinkslimming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}