A New You Doesn't Have to Wait For a New Year!

Every year people around the world gear up for the new year by imaging what they want to do differently, how they want to improve themselves or their situation. Ever year most of those people will start off with good intentions but fail to achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Does that sound familiar?

The Top 3 mistakes people make in setting a New Year's Goal

1. The goal is to vague.

2. The goal is to big.

3. The goal is unrealistic.

Goals that are vague, unrealistic, or just too big are difficult if not impossible to achieve. They become a barrier to real change because they create feelings of failure that often lead to giving up.

So what can you do to make your New Year's Resolution stick?

1. Be specific when you set goals. For example rather than just saying "I want to lose weight" make your goal specific, "I want to lose 10 lbs by April."

2. Break big goals down into manageable steps. For example: "I want to lose 1 pound a week." This also helps create momentum and a sense of accomplishment when you achieve these smaller goals.

3. Identify specific action steps you can take to work towards your goal. For instance, a weight loss goal might include removing junk food from the house, deciding to cook at home rather than eat fast food, and adding exercise to your routine.

4. Be realistic about what you can actually change and work up to larger changes! It is very difficult to go from never going to the gym to going every day. Try setting a step-stone goal such as: "I will go to the gym and participate in one activity two days a week for the next two weeks". Then increase your expectations of yourself in increments.

5. Be kind to yourself! Change can be very hard and you are going to have setbacks. Be prepared to forgive yourself and get back on track. Every day is a new opportunity to move forward.

6. Hold yourself accountable to your goal. You might find a friend with a similar goal and check-in with each other. Track your progress! Create a goal chart with the steps you need to complete and give yourself a smiley face sticker when you achieve them. Decide on a reward for yourself for making your goal happen. You can even have small rewards to celebrate each success along the way.

You can also hire a life coach to help you set up your plan for change and then check-in periodically so that someone can help you stay accountable. A life coach can also help you work through roadblocks that may crop up along the way.

Life Coach Round Rock is offering 2 sessions for the price of 1 to help you make your New Years Resolution a reality. Just mention this article when you make your appointment!

Wishing you the best!

Coach Angela Hayes