As the ball drops on New Year's Eve, you may become a failure. Statistics show that only 8 percent of people are successful at achieving their New Year's resolution. If you are part of the 92 percent who failed, you may begin to think of where you went wrong. You gained 20 pounds instead of lost it, your daily meditation is usually on the toilet and those friends you wanted to stay in touch with? You didn't know they had another child and moved across the country.
It doesn't have to be this way. Instead of thinking about your failed attempts, wouldn't it be nice to think about your successes? Here are several ways you can become successful and avoid feeling like a failure each new year.
Set daily goals
Who says that your goals have to be for an entire year? Instead of attempting to lose 50 pounds over the year or trying to become a more patient parent, set a small goal every day that you know you can accomplish. For example, if you want to lose weight and you have time to work out, set a goal to work out for at least 30 minutes. If you know you have a lot to do and exercise may not happen, don't worry about it. Instead, do something you know you can achieve like drink eight glasses of water throughout the day.
Focus on priorities, not resolutions
You don't need to come up with a million goals to start the new year. In fact, you don't even need to set one goal. Instead, think about one area in your life such as your physical, mental or spiritual state, and strive to better that area. Each day, make that area of your life a priority and work toward making it better. A few ideas could include:
Physical state: Focus on building up enough energy to play with your children.
Mental state: Work on your self-esteem and how you view yourself. Believe that you can accomplish anything.
Spiritual self: Draw closer to God by whatever means necessary.
Be selfish
When it comes to setting goals, make goals for yourself. If someone makes a comment about your weight, don't set an elaborate goal to lose 100 pounds by summer. If someone tells you that you must spend an hour every day teaching your active toddler the alphabet, don't lose your mind trying to make the toddler sit down and learn. If you are trying to accomplish a goal for someone else, you will quickly burn out. Set goals that you want to accomplish. If your heart isn't into it, there is no way you will be successful.
Make fun goals
We are often our own worst critics, so it isn't surprising when we only create goals to make us better. But what about setting goals to help us become more relaxed, happier, more content with life? Instead of creating goals to better yourself, set fun goals. For example, set a goal that one Saturday a month you are going to take a nap or watch your favorite movie. Set a goal to read a certain number of enjoyable books, not just books that you have to read.
Set a goal to slip-up
You are going to have days when you just can't do it all. Your routine may be altered, you may be sick or you may have sick kids. Whatever it may be, expect to slip-up. However, those slip-ups don't mean you are a failure and should throw in the towel. Instead, set a goal to have a few slip-ups. Allow yourself time to make a few mistakes as you strive to reach your goal. That way, when you do mess up, it is all a part of a bigger plan, and you can avoid feeling like a quitter.
If you want to set New Year's resolutions, don't make goals that are impossible to set. With the above tips, you can still achieve many goals without ever having that end-of-year dread.