It’s that time of year again when we all make New Year’s resolutions. Gazing at nature’s most incredible water feature is where I gain clarity about my personal New Year’s resolutions each year.
Once again, I’m committing to 1) living a healthier life in 2016 – healthy diet, consistent exercise regime and a more relaxed pace and 2) spending more quality time with friends & family. Spending time in the garden is part of my relaxation time and learning about gardening practices enhances my healthy choices. Creating The Blissful Gardeners with Vicki is some of that quality time with friends.
The key is to realize our resolutions. How to we increase our chances of making them happen? As a long-time executive coach, here are a few tips I’ve shared with clients for making successful changes.
- Be realistic. Make sure your resolutions are attainable and not overly optimistic. Choose resolutions that are really possible to achieve, even if you’re stretching yourself. And don’t choose too many. Focusing on one or two goals increases your likelihood of accomplishing them.
- Set specific goals. What does success mean and how will you know you’ve arrived? In my example, how many times will I exercise per week and how will I know I’m living a more relaxed pace? I need to define my goals in greater detail.
- Visualize success. Picture what a successful outcome looks like and keep those pictures in mind throughout the year.
- Set up periodic check-ins. Once a quarter or once a month, check in with yourself. How are you doing with your goals? Do you need to make any adjustments to enable you to be more successful?
- Share your resolutions with others. I always find that I am more successful if others know my goals and are supporting me along the way.
- Reward yourself. Think about how you will celebrate your wins once you have accomplished your goals.
Vicki and I wish you a very Happy New Year and thank you for joining us on our journey this year.
