How to Keep Resolutions
A good friend of mine recently ran the Honolulu Marathon and started cramping about half way through this 26 mile run. The pain became almost unbearable at mile 20. Rather than calling it quits however, he adjusted his run and finished the race in under four hours. That’s what I call resolve! We can’t control the challenges that come our way, but we can plan on finishing the race. Here are some suggestions on keeping resolutions.
Write down your resolutions. Writing something down makes it concrete and meaningful. Make sure though that these things mean enough to you that you will experience some degree of regret if they are not achieved. After writing them down be sure to post it up somewhere you can see it on a daily basis. Laminate it and put it up in your shower if you have to.
Share them with your friends and family. This is really more for you than for them. You might create a formal accountability routine if you’re serious, but if not, at least you’ll remember sharing this with others. As a person of integrity, you’ll want to walk the walk as much as you talk the talk.
Break your resolution down into a weekly activity. Whether your resolution has to do with fitness, finances, or fun, make sure that it is an activity that you can do each week and check back on it every Sunday.
Schedule this activity. This step is absolutely critical. The beauty of computers and smartphones is the reoccurring activity function we can program into our planners. A scheduled activity is a block that cannot be moved and is a commitment.
Start fresh, no matter what. If you fall off the horse on Wednesday, remember to get back on Sunday. Life never happens in sequential steps, it’s always two steps forward and one step back.
Plan for completion, not perfection. The enemy of success is not failure, it is perfection. The fear we harbor of not being perfect will always hold us back. Complete your scheduled activity to the best of your ability and at the end of 2011 you’ll find you’ve kept your resolution!
