Making This Year Count

New Year’s resolutions; everyone makes them, but not everybody follows through with them. If you have decided that 2016 is the year you start your novel, lose weight or learn to cook, then here are a few tips to give you the fighting chance we all need when taking on something new.

As a life coach I see people take on new challenges every day. Taking on a New Year resolution is no different. Those that succeed, succeed because they took time and consideration. The main points to consider are:

• Why are you really doing this?

• How are you going to do this?

• Is it realistic?

So many people enter into the New Year renewed and refreshed, ready to take on the year. This enthusiasm is fantastic, but it can also be your downfall. Deciding you are going to lose a stone in a month, give up drinking and start a journal is not realistic. Don’t forget there is a reason you didn’t do those things in 2015. What will make 2016 different?

Let’s consider a New Year resolution favourite – losing weight.

Why are you really doing this?

This is the first and most vital question. Think of how your life will be improved, challenged and tested by this. Who else will it affect? Why is it so important to do it now? Write these answers down.

How are you going to do this?

Mapping out how you are going to take on losing weight properly is key. When are you going to start? How will you know when you have reached your goal? If you have tried this before, what’s going to make the difference this time?

Is it realistic?

Is this the best time for you to lose weight? Are you ready to take this on now? Have you got support around you? Is it too much to do right now?

If you can say that you are ready and able to take on this New Year’s resolution, look back at the answers you wrote down to remind yourself every day. Keep adding to it as time goes on. What’s gone right? What’s gone wrong? How has your life improved? Learn from your experience and don’t be disparaged when it doesn’t go the way you’d like.

The most important thing to remember when embarking on a new challenge is to not beat yourself up when it doesn’t go well. So many people will give up when they smoked that extra cigarette or spent too much money. Be proud that you are taking on a well thought out challenge. Be excited that you are trying to make your life better. Be understanding that you may not be perfect and learn from your mistake. Just because your goal started off as one thing, that may change. And that’s ok. That’s life. At least you’re trying!

One last thing on New Year’s resolutions – don’t let the New Year be the reason you take on new challenges and break old habits. Just because it’s January 1st doesn’t mean you have a better chance at succeeding. Life is about learning, growing and improving where you can. Be inspired, be brave and be empowered. If you want to start learning how to fly a plane, that’s great! And you can do it in March, September or December 25th 2016.  Just remember – why are you doing it? How are you doing it? And is it realistic?

Consider these whether you want to save money or give up eating meat. I’m not saying don’t pursue your dreams, I’m saying make sure you do it at the right time, filled with the right energy and right meaning for you. Otherwise you might try, fail and never try again.

Make 2016 your best year yet because you made changes that counted from January 1st to December 31st 2016. Happy New Year!