This isn’t just the start of a new year; this is the beginning of a new decade. The anticipation is over and 2020 is officially here! Now is finally the time to take control and accomplish that goal that hasn’t left your mind. Creating a New Year resolution is a timeless tradition, but people seldom achieve their goals. We want to change that. This year, set your expectations high for yourself because just some planning and motivation can go a long way. We would love to help you accomplish your goals for 2020 by giving you just five extraordinarily easy steps to keep yourself on track.
1.) Start now.
Procrastination is a dangerous habit. It’s human nature to set a difficult task aside for a rainy day. If you can defeat the urge to procrastinate, you’re strong enough to meet your goal. Don’t wait! Grab a pen and paper and list all of the great and small objectives you’d like to take throughout January before you even think about all the other following months. Organizing is a critical step in outlining what your expectations are for the New Year and acting on them accordingly. Writing down your expectations for January will prevent your mind from stressing about the entire year ahead.
2.) Have a realistic and specific goal.
Many New Year resolutions often fail because they weren’t thought out from the start. Instead of simply declaring that you’re going to “work harder at your job”, reinforce that claim with specifics. Before carrying a boatload of work on your shoulders, ask yourself this: “Where in my job can I improve?” Maybe you want a better relationship with coworkers, or you want to have a more positive attitude at the office. Think about a certain area that you would like to devote your time and energy into this year.
Before: I want to work harder at my job.
After: I want to be motivated at work and improve my performance.
When you’ve determined your goal, begin with small steps. It is easy to overwork yourself. Challenging goals can cause you to stress and give up completely. Being able to start small will allow you to test how much change will be the healthiest for you. Putting a workout plan together? Work out 20 minutes a day, and if you’re feeling even more pumped after a week, increase that time to a half-hour! Wanting to pick up an instrument? You don’t need to dive in solo. First, tour your local music shop and ask the employees questions. You have the whole year to raise the intensity of your goal.
3.) Understand the motivator behind your goal.
The motivator behind your goal is what will ultimately drive you. It is what will keep you chasing your ambitions even when there are obstacles in the way. Understanding the source of your inspiration will allow you to stay fired up throughout the year. If there are people in your life that give you valuable support in your ambitions, let them know of your New Year goal so when you are feeling unmotivated, you will have friends and family to help keep you on track. Keep your role models in mind as well. Observing their actions and learning how they achieved their goals is a powerful motivator and shows you how you can approach your own goals.
4.) Work towards your progress daily.
It might be tempting to go full-force into 2020, but using your energy all at once can burn you out! It is much more enjoyable and rewarding to work on your New Year resolution day-by-day rather than overworking yourself. When you wake up every morning, your goal in mind can be just as energizing as your coffee. Writing down your daily expectations on your calendar will remind you to keep pushing for improvement while balancing the workload required to meet your goal. If you happen to skip a day or two, don’t get discouraged! Jump back in where you left off without beating yourself up. Remember, 15 minutes of working towards a goal daily are better than a day skipped.
5.) Reflect back on where you started.
Be proud of where you have come from, whether it’s been one week or many months. Reflection can motivate you simply by showing how much you’ve progressed in your goal. Remember that following a New Years’ resolution is not an easy task, but you will look back and see how your perseverance and determination brought you progress you only dreamed of seeing before!
If your New Years’ goal is to nurture your grass into a thriving lawn, improve the vitality of your garden, or say goodbye to irritating pests, we at MissionGreen Services would be thrilled to help you accomplish your landscaping goals.
Guest blog author: Victoria McNally
