I recently wrote down a few goals for myself that I have for 2019 (if you missed that post, it’s HERE). It got me thinking about how many of us write down goals or resolutions, stay super motivated for a few weeks or months, and then one day we wake up and realize it’s been months since we last made any progress on our goal.
Well, I don’t want that happening this year, do you? I don’t want to be staring February in the face like, what??? It’s only February and I’ve already given up on myself?
So today, we’re talking about ways to make sure that we see 2019 through. If you’d like even more strategies, head to THIS blog post I wrote this past summer on motivation.
1.Track your progress.
This is such a simple thing to do and a great visual of how you’re progressing. If you’re anything like me though, I don’t do this nearly enough. With iPhones, printable calendars, and a checklist for just about anything you’d ever need available online, there’s a way for all of us to track. For example, if I want to work out 3+ times a week, why have I not printed a calendar, stuck it to my fridge where EVERYONE can see it, and then mark off a big “W” on each day I complete a workout? Seeing all those “W”s would be motivation by itself—I sure don’t want to look at failure (a blank calendar) every time the kids need milk or juice! Okay. I guess I have just talked myself into it—I need to track my progress!!
2. Find someone to hold you accountable.
Whether it’s the husband, a friend, or even a co-worker, tell someone about your goals! This year, I’m reading the Bible in one year, and you better believe that Brandon knew the plan as soon as I came up with it. Why? Because I know that if I tell him I’m going to do something, he’ll notice if I don’t. And then he’ll lovingly ask about it and help me find ways to get back on track if that’s what I need. Honestly, it rarely gets to that point because just knowing that someone else knows what I should be doing is enough. Another powerful way to stay accountable is to post to social media. A screen shot of the miles you ran, a sweaty selfie, the page of your devotional, a pic of the salad you ate for lunch…whatever your goal is, I bet there’s a way to document progress along the way.
3. Get enough sleep.
My day job? I manage a sleep lab. So I can confidently say that sleep matters. If we aren’t getting enough sleep, then we aren’t our best selves. We need quality sleep to be healthy. And when we’re healthy, we can more easily meet our goals. Whether the goal is to eat better by cooking at home more, or starting a side hustle, we need energy. Our bodies need to be functioning at a high level for us to make real progress in achieving our goals.
4. Journal.
Obviously, you know I love writing, because you’re here reading my blog. But even people who don’t love to write can benefit from journaling. You could just be writing down your goals. You could write down the next 3 steps you’re taking toward meeting your goals. You could write about the good (and the bad) days you’ve had. Training for a half marathon and just had the world’s hardest run? Write it down and then at the end of your recap, write that your next run will be better because we all have tough days and it doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t press on to the goal. Tell yourself you can do it—in writing.
5. Plan and adjust.
Having a big, general goal is great—but if you want to follow through, you need to make a plan and set up smaller goals within it. And then you’ve got to constantly evaluate where you’re at and adjust from there. If I just stopped my goal of growing the blog at “grow the blog,” then how would I know what I needed to do next? How would I know if I’ve made any progress? So I’ve made other goals and I will continually monitor how it’s going. I’ll make adjustments and come up with new strategies as needed. With any goal I have, I’m going to decide how I’ll make it happen and tweak as needed.
What are your strategies for making sure you follow through on your goals and resolutions?
