Every January, people across the globe, but especially here in the United States make an extreme effort to change their lives. Millions of dollars are spent by people looking to kick a habit, shed some pounds or change a lifestyle. People commit to things that either are too hard or they lack discipline to accomplish their goals. According to various reports I have heard, people who set a new year’s resolution last just over two weeks before they give up on the resolution.
Two weeks – that’s it! Why?
Discipline. Lack of planning. Accountability.
Almost any one of us can reach a goal that we set, so long as the goal is within reason and we have a plan. Most resolutions are started in an honest moment of self-reflection but are often poorly planned and completely dependent on will power. Changing your life takes a lot of work and a lot of intentionality. How intentional are you being this new year?
Today is Sunday January 17th, 2010. We have completed 16 days so far this year. So how is it going? How are you doing with your new years resolutions?
My wife and I set some smaller goals this year. One of our goals was to plan out our weekly meals better. After years of saying “I don’t feel like cooking” or “We don’t have anything in the house” and just going out to eat, we decided that we needed to be more intentional on spending less money on eating out and more time cooking in. We have approached our new resolution with a simple plan:
1. We plan out each week what we are going to eat and do throughout the week and shop accordingly.
2. We stick to the plan with exceptions: friends come in town, impromptu hang-out times occur and meals are shifted around, and we make changes accordingly.
3. We evaluate each week when it is over and see what we liked and what we did not like and we create the menu for the next week.
4. We hold each other accountable to the plan.
That’s it, a simple plan with attainable goals and a practical plan to execute. Change is easy if you plan for it and are intentional about it.
How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions?
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