By: Genesis Moreno
When the clock strikes twelve the last sparkling night of the year, thousands promise to commit to a lifestyle make-over. Eat more veggies, get ripped, learn something new, live like tomorrow’s your last day, spend less and save more, are just some of the most recycled holiday resolutions.
What’s the common aim? Be a better version of yourself. So why do 92% of goal-setters drop out after the going gets tough, according to a commonly quoted statistic.
Most people who set goals do it cold turkey. From day one, they cut off all carbs, try to bench press 300 pounds, or budget themselves like college undergrads. Big or small goals, this tactic has repeatedly shown to fail since our daily routine isn’t given a chance to integrate long-lasting change.
Change doesn’t understand deadlines, it understands habits.
New Year’s goals are like sitting in on a final exam on Quantum Physics and expecting to ace it. Jumping into a “new you” doesn’t do anything to change the daily unhealthy habits that contributed to the problem in the first place.
It’s the little seeds you plant in your daily routine that’ll flourish with time.
Whether it’s listening to a financial podcast on your commute to work or switching out the French fries for a side salad, sprinkle your life with some positive goodness that’ll lead you to a better version of yourself, instead of you tackling it like a huffy quarterback.
So how do we remember to add a dash of change when our brains are constantly buzzing with work, family, and responsibilities? How do we learn to put ourselves in the mix?
Goals are external, intentions are internal.
When you create a resolution, you see yourself at the start of the race and your hefty goal at the finish line. By telling yourself I’m “over here” and it’s “over there”, you inadvertently tell yourself it’s outside of you, out-of-reach. Goals don’t work because while you’re sprinting to the finish line, life throws some curve balls and you find yourself saying “I’ll do it later” over and over again and let’s face it, later never comes.
Instead of honing in on one goal, focus on improving your overall quality of life.
We get mad at ourselves for quitting the rat race, but we haven’t even conditioned our minds or our bodies! Maybe that’s the problem. Intentions are more effective than goals, because they’re the driving WHY to our challenging WHAT.
A neat way to keep an intention in mind to act as a driving force in your daily routine is to set a Power Word for 2018! Mindfully choosing to stick to a word that resonates with you can be a focal point that’ll bring change- slow and steady. I choose the word welcome, because my intention for this year is to be open to new experiences and to welcome challenges and adversity.
What’s your word of the year?
