Resolutions

Happy New Year to all.  The Mayans were wrong.



As I sit here and write this, I am going over the resolutions that I made for 2012 that I actually met, and the ones that I did not attain. Overall, I met half my goals.



In how I perceive myself, it was not a good year.

What I mean by this is I did not reach the goals that were deemed more important than the ones I actually reached. Breaking it all down, I have realized why this did happen or did not happen.



First, I did not take personal responsibility for my failures. Instead, I would blame circumstances beyond my control, or, other individuals getting in my way, for why I did not achieve success in my goal. I realize now I have to control situations better, maybe getting others to help me instead of seemingly hindering me.



Second, some of the goals I set were actually unrealistic. This did not seem this way at first, but as time went on, I found out that maybe I should of broke it down into smaller steps, making it more easily attainable.




Third, I expected to be perfect, but I am human. So when a setback occurred, I would get depressed and lose focus, eventually giving up. I know now I should expect these setbacks, and if possible, plan for their occurrence.



Fourth, I should make resolutions based on action instead of inaction. Example: Giving up smoking is an inaction, where is exercising is based on action. I found out that it is easier to do something than not to do something. I would be obsessive in not doing something, which made me think about it too much. Ultimately, it ended in failure.


Fifth, some of things I resolved to do were, in hindsight, a little vague. This basically meant I set a goal without proper planning. As in example: Saying I need to exercise more is a vague statement, but saying I will run a mile a day and spend an hour in the gym gets me to plan to actually do it.



Finally, I needed reinforcement and motivation. I have to keep in mind my past failures, and try not to repeat them. I have to take compliments positively, and not think they were made facetiously. I have to give myself small rewards to help me keep committed toward my goals.



Now, as I make resolutions for 2013, I keep all I wrote in mind. If I do this, I think I will achieve all my resolutions for the coming year. At least to make my best efforts.



How about you, my friends? What do you think is the best technique to reaching your goals this year? Let's hear about it, and maybe it might work for us as well.



Let 2013 be a safe and prosperous year for all of us.