This time last year, like many people, my mind started to wander about what I wanted to achieve for the coming year. The most important thing for me at the time was to lose weight and get fit and healthy.
As a life coach I felt that I really needed to walk my talk and also I wanted to go through the process of overcoming the challenges and obstacles along the way. I needed to understand so that my experience could help others.
The previous year I had given up smoking for good and felt great about my achievement and I decided to use the same techniques and tips to help me to lose weight. As a result I lost 28lbs in weight and have never been so fit in my life.
This article is not completely new. I first published it in 2005, however I thought it would be worth showing you again as there has been some new research recently which shows that people who stick to their New Year’s Resolutions mostly follow the following steps.
I recommend that you keep things simple and choose just one goal. Remember also that you have the whole year to achieve this goal so if you become sidetracked or let things slide don’t label yourself a failure or give up completely. Just gently get back on track.
Here are my top 5 tips to help you to overcome procrastination and keep your New Year Resolution
Step 1: What’s It Costing You?
The first step is to take a piece of paper and write down what it is costing you to avoid doing the task at hand. How does it make you feel? How does it affect you or others? How important is it for you to complete this task? Often people feel guilty, stressed and dissatisfied with themselves for being unproductive and this guilt and stress you feel about avoiding the task can far outweigh any fears or concerns you have about doing it.
Step 2: How will you Feel Once It’s Done?
It’s important here to really get a sense of how you will feel once the task is actually done. Sit for a while and really imagine that you have successfully completed your task. How great is that! What will it GIVE you to complete the job? Think about how will you benefit from achieving your goal? How will other people benefit? How will you feel? The trick here is to find some very compelling reasons why you should do the task at hand.
Step 3: Find a Motivation Partner
One way of helping you to make a start is to find yourself a partner who you can pair up with and who can help to motivate you into taking action. Share your overall goals then at the beginning of each week tell each other 3 actions that you will complete during the week. Then check in with each other at the end of the week.
Step 4: Break The Task Down Into Baby Steps
Sometimes the seeming enormity of the task can make us put off even starting. The trick here is to break it down into small baby steps and keep taking consistent action. For example: you may be procrastinating about organising your paperwork, in which case set a timer for 5 minutes and keep at it until the timer goes off. Have a quick break and then set the timer for another five minutes. Before long you will have completed your task. Or if you want to lose weight, then focus on losing a small amount each week rather than the overall amount say over a year.
Step: 5 Reward Yourself on Completion
Don’t miss out this step! Promise yourself a reward for completing the task at hand and the milestones along the way. Take time out to really celebrate your achievement. Choose something that will really make you happy. You could reward yourself by buying yourself something new to wear, take yourself out to dinner to your favourite restaurant, have a massage or beauty treatment. Rewarding yourself in this way will be a strong positive reinforcement to help you to overcome procrastination.
Do you have any methods, tips or techniques that you use to help you to achieve your goals?
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I also think it’s important not to make too many New Year’s resolutions – I’ve seen some lists on a forum that I post on that have about 20 items on, which may be too many to deal with effectively.
Great post!
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for you comment. Yes, I agree with you. For the past two years I have chosen just one goal and found that being so focused on that one thing has helped me to succeed. Next year I want to deal with paperwork. I want sort out all my piles of paperwork and develop a way of keeping on top of it once and for all.
Hi Janice
Great post. I would add Have A Detailed Plan on how you will achieve your resolution and Have An Action Bias to the list.
Duncan Brodie
Goals and Achievements
http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk
Hi Duncan,
Nice to see a goal achievement expert like you on here and thank you for your comment.
Yes definitely having a plan of action is a must. Spending that time beforehand working out how you will achieve your goal will pay off. I’ve found that reviewing it along the way and making any necessary adjustments is useful as well. When I decided to lose weight last year I was going to the gym every day, until my instructor told me that I needed to take at least one day off a week so that my body could recover. Oddly I seemed to lose more weight that way.
Hope you have a wonderful New Year Duncan.
You have got a nice, clear plan there and I can use it myself. I was very happy with my fitness a few years ago when I saw a personal trainer twice a week. I was actually amazed at what I had achieved. Then, my trainer moved and I lost my momentum. Within 6 months I had regressed to pudgy tummy and no motivation.
I haven’t been able to start on my resolution yet this year as I am on crutches for a few weeks, but I am going to post a note on my calendar to revisit your article every Monday to keep it at the front of my mind.
Lisa
Hi Lisa, Nice to hear from you again and I’m sorry you are on crutches! Hope you make a speedy recovery.
I think it’s good that you have identified what keeps you motivated. I need a class environment with an instructor to keep me motivated – while some people are happy to exercise alone in the gym.
I can understand your loss of momentum…if I go to the gym regularly it becomes a habit and I just go – I don’t tend to think about it. Whereas if I have a few days off I really need to push myself to get out the door. At times like these I just have to literally put my trainers on and go before I talk myself out of it.
All the best Lisa. You’ll be fighting fit in no time.