KATHY’S HOME & GARDEN TIPS – Goals or “Resolutions” for the New Year
Now is the time of year for many of us to plan our goals for 2017. For a long time, I along with many others would decide on “resolutions” for the new year. These usually involve losing weight and going to the gym. Unfortunately, 2 or 3 weeks into the year most resolutions are not fulfilled. There are several reasons for this. The first is calling them resolutions, I prefer to call them goals.
The second is no proper planning. Okay, I’m going to lose weight. Well, how are you going to succeed? You must have a plan with a specific end result. Be realistic, safe weight loss is about a pound a week. Start out with a food diary. Many of us mindlessly eat with little thought. Less carbs more protein is the best way to go. Moderate exercise with aerobic and weights really help. But the lesson here is PLAN!
The third reason many goals fall by the wayside is no accountability. You need to have someone with whom you share your plan and who will encourage you to keep on track. It’s a lot harder to miss an exercise class when you have a friend to exercise with or simply someone you connect with weekly that will hold you accountable for slacking off. I know that doing the task I’d planned was easier than admitting to my team why I didn’t.
Fourth is unrealistic goals. This often results in deciding “why bother?” An easy excuse to forget about the whole thing. Start easy, especially with something like weight loss. A person who hasn’t exercised in 10 years shouldn’t start with cross-fit! Start walking and doing as many reps as you can with small weights before going on to larger ones. In business going from a ten deal year to fifty is simply not happening.
I have focused here on mainly getting fit but these steps work just as well with business goals. Those of us who are self- employed know how to assess our numbers from year to year but many still neglect to make serious plans. But you folks working for others can still make goals. Go to your boss and say, “I’m making goals for my year, where can I improve?” You will put yourself head and shoulders above the rest.
So, make your plan, find an accountability partner and be realistic and you may find that many of your goals will be reached and maybe even surpassed.
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO
