How about giving yourself a break. What do you want to accomplish? What do you really want to change? Lose excess weight? Exercise regularly? Or like me have more discipline in your daily work?
If I set the goal for the end of the year, one of two things happen, I either will procrastinate and simply forget my original goal OR because my motivation is gone I somehow rationalize my lack of focus as a sign that I might as well wait until next year! Then you feel defeated and the cycle repeats.
So I offer now a different approach.
You know it takes at least 3 weeks of repetition to create a habit. Now if you already had a long held behavior say for most of your life then you need to account for 3 weeks to shift THAT old habit out of it's well worn rut PLUS add another 3 weeks to internalize the new desired behavior and rewire the brain to accept it. So 6 weeks in total!
That sounds exhausting to me.
Unless you make it easier on yourself.
Say for example it's Sunday evening and you are determined to make exercise a regular habit, perhaps attempting to get up everyday early - 4:30 am before work to hit the gym. The ideal goal is that by the summer you will be a rock star of lean muscle and sporting a stellar beach bikini. Plus you will change your diet to eat only salads at lunch, no more carbs at night or maybe at all until you lose 10 lbs., limit yourself to a single morning cup of coffee and add tons of water, because everyone knows how good water is for us, hmmmm.
Unless you have the discipline of a body builder, you have just set yourself up for failure because trying to change ALL those things in a matter of a few weeks seems insurmountable.
Can you see how too many personal expectations can sabotage your (my) results?
So why not take those massive expectations and shoot for confidence boosting short term goals. I suggest you try a different approach, start small, really small.
By adjusting your TIME expectations to something doable, you can change those habits and make them permanent and not a passing reminder of your inadequacies. You can do this!
Pick one thing to change, or maybe two max. Pick your TOP PRIORITY. Either the time you get up, salads for lunch, hours you will work at the computer, number of cups of coffee, or just getting to the gym period, whatever. Work on ONLY that for a full 3-4 weeks. Focusing on just one thing allows space to recover and handle inevitable triggers as you change your lifestyle. This way you are able to handle how to stay with EACH new permanent habit. You can always add more new habits, just work on ONE until your brain is rewired and you feel like it's second nature.
The possible consequence of doing things slower and in smaller increments is that a lack of motivation may creep in without seeing big results right away. In America in 2015 we tend to need immediate gratification for our efforts.
Or starting a regime of meditation. Practice mindfulness. It doesn't take much, just 15 minutes a day sitting quietly, listening to your breath, and allowing your thoughts to pass as you enjoy the silence of being in your body. Ask yourself in this relaxed state what is behind your rushing? Why do taking small steps seem more difficult? Are you resistant to permanent change that may take a longer commitment?
The subconscious mind holds all the "get rich quick" schemes and other impulsive activities. By inviting this part of you to the surface instead of denying it's existence, you are giving yourself a valuable gift not only for these new habits you are creating but by becoming fully aware of your unconscious reactions that may or may cause trouble in all areas of your life.
Diane Fales is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Astrologer, Coach, Artist and Freedom fighter.