april ma y - AE.AE

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESO-
LUTIONS?
How are things going with those New Year’s resolutions? Are
you well on your way to the new improved you? Or have all
your good intentions been long forgotten?
Studies show that most of us have given up on our resolutions
well before the end of January. The question is, why? Each
year, the most popular resolutions are more or less the same:
save money, be healthier, lose weight, give up smoking, learn a
new language ... All very sensible dreams. So, why is it so hard
to make them come true?
The key to success is simple: approach your New Year’s
resolution as you would a work target or goal. You wouldn’t
set an unrealistic business goal which you know in advance
will be impossible to achieve, would you? So take the same
attitude to this challenge.
1. Just choose one goal
Very simple. Research shows that you’re much more likely
to keep resolutions if you only make one, so you can really
concentrate on it.
2. Be realistic
You’ve got to be honest and ask yourself what you can change
in your life that would make you happier. Most people choose
resolutions which are far too vague and therefore overwhelming
– like “enjoying life more” or “being a nicer person”. What you
should do is set yourself a task and then take small steps to
achieve it, regularly reviewing your progress. If you want to
learn another language, just take the first step and sign up for a
regular language class, rather than expecting yourself to speak
it fluently in six months. The less daunting the task sounds,
the more likely you are to manage it.
3. Why?
Examine your reasons for wanting to achieve this one thing,
because you’ve got to really want it if you’re going to stay
committed when your self-discipline falters. One very helpful
tip is to write a list of all the reasons why keeping this resolution
will help you. For example, if you want to be more organised,
consider how a more streamlined, less hectic attitude to life
will not only reduce stress levels but will also boost your
productivity at work, as well as improve the impression your
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colleagues have of you. If you’re constantly late for meetings,
and arrive unprepared and sweating, don’t you think this will
have an impact on your standing in the company, in the long
run?
4. Why not?
Next, write a list of the reasons why you think you might not
be able to keep this resolution. And then have a good look at
them: you’ll find that most of the reasons you’ve come up with
are just an excuse for failure. The reason most people give is
“lack of time”. Well, the hard truth is, if you want to achieve
something, you’ll have to be prepared to make time to do it –
and write the time you need into your weekly schedule, so it’s
there in black and white. Want to write a book? Set aside some
regular blocks of time during the week, maybe two or three
evenings, and don’t let anything interfere with your writing.
If you want to do more exercise, you don’t need to do it every
day – just once or twice a week is better than nothing at all.
In short, if you can’t find a way to overcome your “Why not?”
reasons, you’ll be doomed to failure before you even start.
5. Go public
Tell your family and friends about what you intend to achieve.
Their support will help when you start reaching for the
chocolate. And keep a written record of how you’re getting
on, so you can monitor your progress. Make sure you reward
yourself, too, regularly (but not with the things you’ve given
up!).
6. One day at a time
Even if you have a bad day once in a while, it does not mean
you’ve “broken” your resolution. See this as a longer-term
project. If there’s one day where you spend too much money,
smoke ten cigarettes or fail to go to the gym – don’t panic!
It was just a temporary setback. One day really won’t make a
difference.
In short: it’s never too late to “re-make” your resolutions, and it
doesn’t only have to be once a year! Deciding to make positive
changes to your life will not only improve your self-esteem,
it can also change your professional image. What’s more, the
end result outweighs the effort of breaking a bad habit or two.
You’ll see.