NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
If you read the latest article about The year of 2019 in Rearview you would probably guess that we have never really sat down and written our New Year’s vows.
Well, I did write something down for both of us and me – I usually used the S.M.A.R.T. goals method.
To refresh what S.M.A.R.T. means:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Based
The problem was not in not knowing the theory, the problem was sticking to the plan. The first few days were really easy and we were all in, but then the life, the job, and the stress kicked in and we immediately fell off the wagon. And we are certain that there are a lot more of you – just like us ?.
So, our feelings towards New Year’s Resolutions were always positive, but we couldn’t stick to the plan because of the outside factors and of course our own nature.
But this year I – the female side of our little company have decided that things really have to change or my health and my mind is going to lose it and our relationship is going to hit the toll of the Rat race.
I started researching and the first thing that I wanted to know is the definition of this so-called “Life-changing” thing. Cambridge English dictionary quotes:” New Year’s resolution is a promise that you make to yourself to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year.”
And the first thought that hit my mind was – how to stick to your promises when there is always some kind of distraction?!?
And of course, Google always has answers-I found some advice on how to stick to your promises.
But, because I know what kind of a person I am (a lot of talk about resolutions and little action) – I will share our New Year’s resolutions with you at the end of this article and at the end of the year 2020 I’ll share our results.
And to make it more interesting – I would like to start a private Fb group in which we would have discussions about how it’s like to put theory about sticking to your resolutions into practice and to share our stories.
Just let me know if you would like to participate in this group by leaving a comment at the end of this article.
Now, to easier understand why do we sabotage ourselves with not reaching our goals/NY Resolutions we must first understand that there is an epidemy spreading around the world and it is called “The Negativity Effect”. It is described as a phenomenon that has a universal tendency for bad events and emotions to affect us more strongly than positive ones.
Isn’t it sad, that we are slowly becoming a human rase, which is so depressed, stressed and living in constant anxiety that we are not able to see the bright side of life? In spite of all the horrible things that are going on around the world, there are still good things going on in your own backyard, you just have to see them.
Here are some tips for overcoming the Negativity Effect:
- DO NO HARM (the feeling of doing something good every single day gradually grows to self-respect)
- THE RULE OF FOUR (it takes 4 good things to overcome 1 bad thing)
- PUT THE BAD MOMENTS TO GOOD USE (the upside of the Negativity Effect is its power to teach and motivate)
- CAPITALIZE ON THE GOOD MOMENTS – AND THEN RELIVE THEM (sharing good news is one of the most effective ways to become happier, but only if the other person responds enthusiastically, so make sure, you rejoice in your friend’s good fortune – or at least fake it ?)
- SEE THE BIG PICTURE (You are the crafter of your own destiny)
Now that we’ve “cleared the air” about how to become positive and happy, motivated person, we can now follow just 3 simple rules:
- a) the definition itself says that you have to make just 1 resolution; making lots of New Year’s resolutions is a wrong way to go, we should spread our resolutions out over the entire year.
- b) we should also eat nourishing foods for the brain, such as oily fish, dark chocolate, berries, nuts & seeds, whole grains, coffee (but not too much), avocados, peanuts, eggs, broccoli, kale, soy products…
- c) distraction is also one of the methods to keep your NY Resolutions (for example – to avoid that cookie, which is on the table waiting “just” for you, try and look at something else and distract your mind with pleasant thoughts of you in a bikini showing off your newly gained fit & healthy body).
Ok, now we’ve come to the end the theory and here comes the practice – Our goals for the year 2020:
| PERSONAL GOALS | BUSINESS GOALS |
| Start each day with positive thoughts (have a special »manifest for your better life« -I have 12 positive affirmations written down on a piece of paper and I read them every day) | A surprise regarding our brand (if everything turns out right we’ll have a BIG announcement at the end of January) |
| Eat healthier (each meal is prepared with love & care towards your body) | A new product (this is also already in progress and we are working on a release in Oktober) |
| Exercise your mind (daily meditation, 1 book/week) | The Internet site will be refreshed in the first two months of this year |
| Exercise your body (daily walks, yoga 2x times/week) | Our blog will »come to life« by publishing 1 article/month |
| More harmony in our lives (find a balance between work, life & rest) | Private Fb group for support in realizing your NY Resolutions will be established |
To wrap everything up with a nice bow-tie: make sure that your NY Resolutions are the things you enjoy doing AND are also good for you.
And do not forget to let me know in the comments below if you would like to participate in a private FB group, where we will be tracking and giving advice on NY Resolutions (how to stick with what we’ve decided).
Wishing you strong will and dedication this year – we can do it together ?!!
Sources:
- For the New Year Say No To Negativity – https://www.wsj.com/articles/for-the-new-year-say-no-to-negativity-11577464413?mod=searchresults&page=1&pos=3
- Blame it On The Brain – https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442
Author: Maja Šobar, Sims-Tools