Why Resolutions Rarely Stick
January 2, 2009
You’ve most likely heard the saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” The same holds true for new year’s resolutions. While everyone else is telling you to set your resolutions, I’m going to talk to you about why these resolutions never stick.
THEY’RE TOO FAR OUT THERE
Almost every person that sets new year’s resolutions make poor choices. They mean well, and want to make positive changes in their life. But they aren’t being truthful or real with themselves. Instead, they set resolutions that are not possible for them to keep.
THEY’RE NOT EMPOWERING
In order for you to be motivated to keep your new year’s resolutions, you must become empowered by them in some form or fashion. When you set a resolution, ask yourself why that resolution will make your life better, or how it will improve your way of living.
THEY’RE NOT VERY COMPELLING
Any resolution you set must motivate you. It must excite you to no end. If it doesn’t, you’ll never commit to keeping it. You might do well for a while, but when the newness of this resolution wears off, you’ll go right back to your old habits again. Resolutions that aren’t motivating tend to never stick.
Now that you can see here some of the reasons why resolutions rarely stick, you might be wondering what the point is in setting resolutions. That’s a very good point, and one you should further consider. Who are you fooling by setting resolutions that you’ll never keep? Only yourself.
Set Weight Loss Goals
January 1, 2009
With the holidays gone, it’s time to start the new year off with some weight loss goals. If you’ve been thinking about going on a diet, or feel the need to lose a few more pounds or inches, this is the perfect time to make it happen.
STEP #1: Write It Down
What are your weight loss goals? Do you need to lose ten pounds? Do you want to get to the gym three days per week and build your muscle tone? Would you like to start that exercise routine you’ve been thinking about to lose several inches?
Write down your goals. Keep them in a place where you’ll see them often. Better yet, create a mini poster with an inspirational quote or two and your weight loss goals. Then tack your poster to the wall or refrigerator so you will see it often.
STEP #2: Be Realistic
The biggest mistake most people make is setting a goal to lose a huge amount of pounds. This can seem overwhelming and even impossible. Rather than doing this, set small goals for yourself. Try losing five pounds first. When you reach that first five, set a second goal to lose five more. Whatever your goal is, make sure it is doable. It’s impossible for anyone to lose 30 pounds in two weeks and still remain healthy.
STEP #3: Incorporate Rewards
This is an important tidbit of advice. Setting your weight loss goals is great, but you must include rewards for yourself as well. Goals create a sense of urgency. Rewards help to motivate you to completion.
How to Achieve Financial Goals
December 30, 2008
Do you regularly set financial goals for yourself? Do you plan ahead for your future and know where your money is going before you even get it? If you answered no to these questions, you need to start setting some financial goals for yourself. Here are some proven tips for maximum financial goal achievement.
- Plan ahead. There’s no better time to plan for financial hardship than when you’re at the peak of your financial existence. Create a padded savings for “just in case” future purposes. You never know when your family will hit a financial speed bump or experience a medical emergency that could set you back dearly.
- Be frugal. Too many people who have extra money after paying bills and squaring away monthly expenses end up blowing it frivolously, rather than saving or investing. Don’t spend your money on things you don’t really need. Learn how to get by with what you need and save up for everything else later.
- Set reasonable goals for yourself. If you aren’t wise with your financial goal setting, your money won’t go very far. Plus you’ll end up disappointed that you aren’t seeing results as quickly and you’ll be more prone to spending rather than saving. Set some financial goals that are reasonable.
- Invest wise. If you want to invest some money, be wise about it. If you don’t know much about investing money, read and study as much information as you can. Ask questions to those more knowledgeable than you. Above all, never sink a ton of money into something that you know nothing about. You’ll end up losing a lot more than you gain.
