It’s that time of the year again, and some have no idea the sort of achievement they want to have by 31st January 2017. Some have already laid out their plans whereas others are still waiting for 31st December 2016 at 11:59pm to recite what they want to achieve as they say their last prayers into the incoming year. No wonder only 8% of people who make New Year resolutions achieve them. Oh yeah, and by the way, 80% of people stop pursuing their New Year resolutions by end of February. Some also do not even bother to even make a resolution.
Every new year, we constantly outline heaven-on-earth resolutions that are capable of turning us into the next Super Man or the next Bill Gate in theory, yet the practical manifestation of this Alice-in-Wonderland desires remain a mere wish for 92% of people.
It’s not that our resolutions are not good enough that’s why we are not able to achieve them. It’s basically because, we state the end result rather than planning how we want to go about it. For example, these are some resolutions we are likely to make: I want to lose weight, I want to save GHC1000 by the end of the year, I want to stop drinking, and last but not least, I want to live a better life.
All these seem to be apt, and soothing. In fact, to someone, these are the resolutions he has been making every year. The problem is that there is no outlined procedure on how this is going to be achieved and that’s what makes it unrealistic. For example, instead of saying you want to lose weight, why not resolve that no eating after 6pm and no snacks after supper. Instead of saying you want to hit the gym every day, why not be specific in saying 30 minutes workout every Saturday. Instead of saying you want to save GHC1000 by the end of the year, why not save GHC3 a day (mind you there 365 days in a year!). I can go on and on but the point is, your goal must be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timebound).
Another factor that will help you achieve your resolution will be to keep it short. Some of us our resolutions can be as voluminous as the mythical book Understanding Women, Volume 1, pocket edition. But the point is, it is better to have three resolutions and achieve them in a year than to have a hundred resolutions and not remember 99 by the end of February.
Furthermore, studies have shown that those who have resolutions are ten times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t make them. The fact that people don’t achieve their resolutions doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make one. Last I checked your name is not ‘people.’
My name is Kotey, and don’t forget that you don’t always need a new year before you make a resolution. Just think of how better you can get when you plan your life. That should motivate you enough.
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