Forget Resolutions-But Set a Goal for Yourself

I will start this by saying I am not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I think that taking a far reaching goal, that you may have failed at before, and thinking just because you are trying again on New Year's will make it work, is a set up for failure.

I do like the idea of evaluating your life periodically and setting goals for yourself. However, when you develop your goals it is best to set ones that have realistic obtainable outcomes. This could be a goal such as going to the gym once a week rather than daily. Small goals are best because they are more reachable and can help you keep positive momentum rather than getting frustrated and quitting because you set the bar to high. 

To do this with a more personal goal, such as being less stressed or not engaging in negativity, I suggest making plans for the situations in which you get stressed or feel yourself pulled into negativity. This might mean that when you are stressed you will commit to taking a 10 minute walk. When you feel pulled into negativity you will take a break and talk to a supportive friend. Having a plan of action will allow you to address the greater goal. The overall outcome of not being stressed is not obtainable; you really just want to handle your stress better.

It is a great thing to work on yourself, but do it in a way that you will have success.  Remember to focus on your success rather than the times you weren't able to do things differently. Every time you do things the way you want to makes it more likely you will be able to replicate that in the future. 

 “Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed.”  Abraham Lincoln

 Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year.

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