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| Goals are easier to obtain in small steps that you keep track of in a planner. |
I don’t know about you, but every new year I make a small list with my resolutions. It’s not huge, but it is my way of examining what I want to change in my life. Sometimes, I am successful with the goal that I focus on while others just seem to far out of reach the harder that I try. However, this made me think. It was not my list of goals that caused the problem, but more my method of trying to accomplish these things that were at fault.
Therefore, I looked at this task from another way. Perhaps, being more successful at achieving those resolutions was to start smaller than demanding something from myself that just might be unrealistic for me to do.
Here’s the thing. How many of us vow to eat a healthy diet and give up the junk food? Of course, we have every good intention that this will be the year that we’ll accomplish that. Yet, a week or two or even less of a time can pass before that staunch purpose falls flat when temptation arrives through stress, outside influences, lack of time or just energy to cook such a healthier meal happens.
Naturally, you feel bad when can’t keep to that goal. Instead of blaming ourselves for failing at that resolution, wouldn’t it have been better to simply work our way up to that goal in steps first? Thus, the goal is more obtainable if attempted in stages.
For example, a more realistic goal would be avoiding junk food one day a week and cooking a meal from scratch–-not a frozen dinner or grabbing some fast food. Plan out the entree, vegetables and fruit, perhaps, cooking with olive oil to begin altering your eating habits. On that one day of the week, skip your usual dessert and turn to fruit.
If you love ice cream, I highly recommend the frozen banana, which is delicious. Peel and wrap each one in wax paper and place in a zip-lock freezer bag can come in handy when you crave ice cream. The texture is creamy and sweet. It also takes a while to polish off a frozen banana. Honestly, I have a big bag in my freezer for whenever I need ice cream. This will satisfy that call for ice cream, I promise.
Keep to that weekly routine and watch what happens. You’ll be so proud of yourself that before you know it you’ll be able to take an additional healthy eating step. Maybe you’ll do by eating two vegetables (a green and yellow) by also taking care in how you prepare them. Then again, you might reduce your red meat consumption and so forth. What I’m saying is that each success motivates you to try another step once you see it can be done.
Healthier eating may not be your goal. You could want more sleep, spend more time with the family, lose weight, etc. I could go on and on. The important thing to remember is you can reach any of your resolution goals if you tackle them in small steps over just jumping in.
