How to Keep it Going...
Chances are you've made a New Year's resolution... or at least considered it. Most of us do make one (over 130 million Americans do) whether we announce it to someone or not. We all have something on our list to improve or change. The usual suspects range from fitness or weight loss, working less, to spending more time with family and oh yeah, don't forget those financial resolutions. This edition is not to tell you what your resolutions should be (although I can help if you need me to...) but to provide some helpful tips on how to keep them going. Setting resolutions is one thing, keeping them is the trick. By January's end studies suggest over 40% of people who set a resolution on December 31st have already ditched them or are about to. Maybe you should set one now? It's never a bad time to improve something in your life.
7 Tips for Success with your New Year's Resolution
1. Be SMART. First and foremost make sure your resolution is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-specific. You should stretch yourself but maybe a reevaluation is in order.
2. Use the Buddy System. Find someone who shares the same resolution and double team the goal working together. This is spouse if it is a budget or a buddy for working out. This provides agreed upon accountability. As well, avoid those people who are negative or bring you down in reaching your goal. At the least, tell someone who will be supportive.
3. Write it and Post it. Spell it out clearly and post it somewhere you will see it every day, preferable at the time you need to remember to keep your resolution. There is something powerful about seeing your own handwriting! Post it on the fridge for diets, mirror for self-confidence improvement, your phone reminding you to daily read more or a card in your wallet by your credit card.
4. Eating an Elephant, One Bite at a Time. Short term goals are easier to achieve as you work towards the big goal. This will motivate you and provide accountability to make progress.
5. You Gotta Celebrate. Reward yourself for achieving little milestones and goals. Do something nice for yourself. Using your judgment, an occasional "cheat day" can help, as long as it doesn't throw you completely off the wagon.
6. Stick to It. Research shows that it takes 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months to become a part of your personality. I often tell my kids, "Nothing worthwhile comes easily."
7. You are Human. You will face temptation to overeat, overspend, oversleep, not stand up for yourself, sit on the couch, whatever your resolution is... and you may likely succumb to it. It is just a hiccup and not the end of the world or the end of your resolution. Refocus on why your resolution is important to you and worth the effort. You can do it.
Have a Blessed 2014!
To Your Success,
Luke A Fields, CFP®
About Stewardship Cents
Stewardship Cents exists to Educate, Entertain and Enhance the financial wisdom of all who read it. Everyone needs to be wise with what has been entrusted to them and common sense can help us be good stewards of all that we have. Stewardship is a belief of responsible overseeing and protecting of important resources.
Luke Fields is Vice President of Foley & Foley Wealth Strategies, An Independent Firm, that has been based in Worthington, Ohio since 1981. A graduate from The Max M. Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, Luke is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, holding his Series 7, 66 and Ohio Life, Health and Variable Annuity Insurance licenses. He resides in Columbus, OH with his high school sweetheart, Beth and their three children. Luke is an active member of his church, serving in leadership and finances.
Follow additional insights and connect on LinkedIn, Facebook, his blog or Twitter. You can always reach him with comments or questions at: luke.fields@raymondjames.com.
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