R.E.A.L. Resolutions to a Successful Year Ahead
How many people want to start the New Year off with a clean slate, to turn over a new leaf or a new resolution? Throngs of people want just that. There is a problem however. Most put their foot down and demand from themselves to accomplish all that they desire..and soon the disappointment rears its ugly head because they most likely will not follow through for various reasons.
Why does this happen?
If you look at a ‘resolution’ for example, as if you were building a house. There is one crucial element necessary to have a successful building and that is the foundation. What is commonly referred to as a resolution is only part of the picture You need a quality foundation to add strength and support to the entire resolution – just as you would in the foundation of a house. The strength and support are the framework within the resolution.
R.E.A.L. resolutions are just that. No more simply just setting a goal. Now you have before you the framework that will ensure your success:
‘REAL’ Resolutions: R = Reason Why, E = Execute, A = Action Plan, L = Live It
Many people want to create resolutions and these resolutions rarely work because there are missing components. Just as in the house analogy, if there is one missing part – the house will crumble and fall. It’s time to get REAL resolutions:
R = Reason Why
What is the most important component of any resolution? It is the emotional component – your reason WHY. This is your real reason. If your desire is to lose weight, you may, on the surface believe that your WHY is that you will look better in the size 6 dress or that more muscle tone will do it. Search a bit deeper and what you will discover, if you keep asking yourself ‘why’ is that wearing that size 6 dress may allow you to feel more confident and ultimately more worthwhile as opposed to a general reason such as ‘it will make me look more attractive.’ This is a crucial part of creating a successful outcome. Attaching your emotional reason is key to your success.
E = Execute
The first few days to a week is about the average length of execution for most people once they embark on a resolution. True execution means that you must take action. Remember that each of these four components of “REAL” Resolutions is meant to be inter-connected; none can be left out.. otherwise the ‘house’ will fall. So what does execute look like? It looks like taking consistent action every day. This is the step where your resolution really gets brought to life in physical reality. When you were establishing your reason WHY, you were also establishing the resolution. Execution, however, needs an Action Plan.
A = Action Plan
Your Action Plan is your strategy and your tactics to see the fruition of your resolution. You will have your strategy that is different from tactics. Strategy looks at the big picture – for example, living healthier would be a strategy (5 keys to create optimal health). Within each key are your tactics – your action steps to create optimal health. For example, the tactics of living healthier would be to drink a certain amount of water each day and to exercise 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Tactics essentially break down the overall strategy to daily/weekly/monthly action steps (tactics).
L = Living It
Living It simply means to fully BE your end result along the way. This means that you are a walking poster for your resolution in mind, body and spirit. Mindset is key and this harkens back to your foundational ‘Why’ when motivation wanes, to ‘acting as if’ you have already attained your end result, visualizing every day with emotion how you want to feel, look and act as if you have it now (just as athletes do) and to be ready for any and all obstacles that may become roadblocks. Obstacles can derail all of your efforts if you do not prepare in advance. Plan for the potential obstacles you may encounter – important.
As an example, let’s take a look at how ‘Jack’ planned to overcome his obstacles in relation to regular exercise.
Jack’s goal: To exercise five times a week.
Jack’s plan for overcoming the obstacles:
Possible obstacle: He will get bored.
Tactics to overcome the obstacle:
- Vary his exercise. (For example, try different running routes; run sometimes on the sand at the beach; take a spin class at the gym, etc.)
- Talk to his wife and/or friend about training together in the mornings.
- Listen to good music while training.
Remember to focus on your end result and enjoy the journey. Once you have laid your foundation (your why) and have your ‘house’ built with quality workmanship, you will never have to worry about the integrity of the structure again.
All four tenets of REAL resolutions are meant to be interconnected to create a successful New Year’s resolution and New Year for you!
A Happy and Healthy New Year to each of you!
~Lori