How to Make New Year's Resolutions that Actually Work For You!

Mariana Tomas 0:00

Hello, hello. Welcome, everyone to the mindful leadership Podcast with your hosts. Mariana Thomas, can you believe it is the last episode of the year. So in this episode, I'm going to talk about how to make New Year's resolutions that actually work for you. So let's get to it. Let's not delay, we are getting closer and closer to 2022. So without further ado, let's go.

Speaker 0:36

Welcome to Mindfully Recharged with Mariana Thomas. In this podcast, Mariana brings you mindful conversations with people that will develop and recharge you from the inside out, so that you can increase productivity in your personal and professional life. This is Mindfully Recharged.

Mariana Tomas 00:57

Well, hello, and welcome, everyone. This is the last episode of 2021 and I wanted to make it special, I know that everyone is maybe working on a real resolution. So you're already, you know, thinking about it. So I'm going to make this easier for you. ‘How to Make New Year's Resolutions that Actually Work for You’ is the name of this episode today.

Mariana Tomas 01:31

I know it is that time of year again when everyone is making resolutions for the new year, but how many of those resolutions actually work out? Ask yourself that question. If you are like most people, not many, so in this podcast episode, I will give you some tips on how to make New Year's resolutions that will actually help you achieve your goals. So listen in and get motivated to make this the best year yet. I am super excited for 2022. And so let's go.

Mariana Tomas 02:15

The first thing is to give yourself time to think about your resolutions. Did you actually take time to do it? See, for me, I take a day of the retreat. And what that means is I get in a quiet space by myself and I come out with my goals. What are the things that I want to accomplish and write them down? Right, that's the only way you're going to remember sometimes, because sometimes you have things in your mind or in your heart, and if you don't write them down, you kind of forget about it. So if you make a resolution every January 1st, chances are it will last for about two weeks before you give up on it. I saw this so many times. Back when I was working in my corporate job, especially those that were trying to do their health and wellness resolutions, and will last for maybe a few weeks and then everybody will disappear. But if you take the time to really think about what your goals are, and how they will impact your life, that is very important. You are more likely to follow through with them. You have to think about what's why you're doing it. How is going to impact you, and maybe your family, your friends? So instead of making English New Year's resolutions at midnight during a party, maybe when you're celebrating New Year's Eve, take some time alone or with your family to write down what you want out of this year and next year. So that way, when it comes around again, you won't have forgotten. So don't do it at midnight on the 31st, before New Year's Eve, but take the time to think about your resolutions. That is number one. Step number one.

Mariana Tomas 04:33

Let's go to number two. Take resolutions one step at a time. Yes, sometimes we want to do everything we want. It doesn't work well. It is overwhelming to think about all the changes you want to make right off the boat. Thank you. I heard that. So instead, break them down into smaller steps that are easier to do. If your goal is to lose weight, for example, don't think about how you want to look in a year from now, because that is too overwhelming and discouraging, I want you to instead start with losing maybe five pounds, or 10 pounds, you know, one step at a time. You can achieve this by eating better and exercising, okay? You got to put those things down, what are the things that are going to allow me to accomplish this resolution or this goal, you can start exercising a little bit, right, if the goal is to lose weight, and you do it every day until you get there, then making another small step after that. Maybe you change when you’re changing your diet and you start changing the things that you're eating, the things you're drinking, remember, little alcohol also is going to put a little weight on you. So that is number two of the tips of the day for New Year's resolutions.

Mariana Tomas 06:22

Let’s go to number three, my friends. Set realistic goals. Yes, sometimes we go above and beyond with our goals resolutions because we want to accomplish the biggest things that we can. Well, goals that are not within your reach will lead to frustration and disappointment. So set ones that are attainable for you. Perhaps, this means starting slow with just one new healthy habit at a time or setting a goal to save a certain amount of money in a year instead of all at once. You see how that works? Small steps. Make sure your goals are realistic and they have to be realistic for you. Not something that everyone else is doing. You got to think about how they're going to work for you and your lifestyle. It is okay if they are the same as everyone else, you got to think about what is important to you. So stop looking around at what everybody is doing and set realistic goals for you.

Mariana Tomas 07:45

Number four, pick one type of resolution. I know we want to go in every direction when we are setting the resolutions and our goals. But if you are like most people, making resolutions every January 1st can be overwhelming and sometimes impossible to follow. Right? Because we try to change too many things at once. And that is the problem. When it comes down to it. Well adding fluxes or going vegan made the biggest difference in someone's life. So let's think about that. Probably not, but when combined with other habits, such as exercising regularly, like we were talking about earlier, is you want to think about maybe losing weight and you start incorporating exercise, eating healthier, and sleeping more. Yes, yes, my friends sleeping is very important. These little changes can make a difference, right? So you see how the resolution makes sense everything is about that one thing. So make a list of all the resolutions that you like to make and pick one, maybe two types of them that will have the biggest impact on your life. So we talked about the losing weight type, right? So that's going to need different components. And that's what I'm talking about. When you find one type of resolution and so on. So as you think about another one, think about all the components, they are going to you are going to need to accomplish that. So pick one type of resolution that was number four.

Mariana Tomas 09:50

Let's go to number five, my friends. Be accountable for what you want to achieve. It’s very easy to not make ourselves a carnival. But you have to be the you accountability partner, right. And you can be the best accountability partner for yourself. So don't just write down your goals, tell all those about them. And tell yourself every single day as well, ‘cause it’s got to start with you. And not just once, but regularly. So maybe every day when you do your affirmations on your gratitude if you fail to update people that value progress. You know, if you are getting maybe a friend involved on your accountability part of it, or don't even let them know, what is that you're trying to achieve in the first place. Oh, you don't tell yourself this, you're not going to hold yourself accountable when things get tough. And you don't remember why you started in the first place. So share your goals with those around you. So they can help track how far along you are, as well as motivate you when needed. And tell yourself that is the most important thing. So every night when you go to bed, remember the member your resolutions and your goals and tell yourself why you are doing them. Along with telling your friends or family, whoever you want to aim to get involved in this. Okay. So oftentimes, whether talking out loud or putting out our goals online, maybe you put a post up there somewhere in social media, we take our commitments more seriously because now we are exposed, you know, you told the whole world that you are committed to this, if we are accountable to someone other than ourselves, maybe we comply. So, we comply right, we get things done, so that you make that decision, my friend. Make a decision. You want to maybe post on social media and tell the whole entire world what you're doing, or you want to tell just a few of your friends, or you just want to tell yourself. Whatever that is, be accountable for what you want to achieve.

Mariana Tomas 12:42

Number six, use positive language. One of my favorite things to do, yes, affirming in a positive way. So when making resolutions, don't add negative words such as, ‘don't’ or ‘stop’. Instead of saying, ‘I won’t eat fast food anymore.’, say something like, ‘I will cook at home three times a week. Make sure you do it. For example, my friends, I just studied cooking a lot, you know, I used to cook but not as much as I'm doing now. But guess what? I'm making myself do it. And I don't tell myself, ‘I may cook today’, I tell myself ‘I will cook, so and so.’ So I already have in my mind, what is that dish that I'm going to make? Right, and I get all my ingredients, I get myself prepared, and I get it done. I'm keeping myself accountable to that resolution that is feeding myself in a better way and doing it myself because I know exactly what is in the food. Right. So that is one resolution that I may actually I started before the beginning of the year so that's another thing you can do I filming yourself when filming yourself is star before I will or I am already doing this. Okay? So make sure you do it. Also, try not to make your goals to page, you, know because they aren’t clear enough and can lead to failure. So when you know you're not really sure what is it you want, the universe is listening as well and this is going to conspire with you. So make sure that you are clear in your goals. So instead of saying that you want to be happier in the new year, setting actually go with a deadline by which time you will achieve them. You know, and remember that just an example because happiness is a choice. So you can choose that anytime. That we just an example.

Mariana Tomas 15:23

Okay, let's go to number seven. Stop saying things like, ‘I always’ or ‘I never’. Yeah, one more time with the words, ‘I love this’. If you say things like this, it is obvious that they are not true because everyone does some of the things they quote-unquote,” always do”. And don't do some of the things they ,quote unquote, ‘never do’. So and instead of phrasing your New Year's resolutions in a negative way, one more time, look at them from a positive perspective. Start with what you want to achieve or stop doing, then work backward from there. For example, if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, one more time, start by writing down everything related to food and exercise that you are ready to do well. Okay, this could be like, exercising every day, for 30 minutes. Ha, see, you see how we're getting more than specific? Cooking your meals yourself, like I am doing. And I'm not doing it for weight loss, but I'm doing it for healing or eating two servings of fruits and vegetables every day. And that’s just the start. Now, write down what you want to stop doing. Okay, that was what you want to start. Now when you want to stop doing being sedentary all day, stopping by the drive-thru each morning on your way to work, maybe. Okay? Drink four sodas per day. Maybe just a sample of the things that you should be doing. They come up with new goals so that your end results are healthy habits that stick rather than ones that are more difficult for you. Okay, and make sure they are measurable. Okay, so one of the things. Okay, that is number eight, I was going a little ahead of time. So let me let me go here. Okay, so we end up with healthy habits that stick rather than ones that are more difficult for you. Okay, so start the ‘always’ and the ‘never’, and start doing it. So write it down. Okay?

Mariana Thomas 18:21

Let's go to number eight, my friends. Make sure you are measuring those things. So make sure you can measure. Okay, make sure they are measurable. Yes. Once you've said your resolutions, make sure they are more specific enough for you to know, when you achieve them. That's how you're going to measure them. So going back to the weight loss, you're going to know when you lost five pounds or 10 pounds or 15 pounds, whatever that is, you see, very easy to measure. So for example instead of saying ‘I will save money this year.’, try something like ‘I will put $100 a way and savings each month. This is going to make it easier for you to keep track of your progress and stay motivated along the way. Yes. So that's another way of measuring resolutions and goals. So I gave you one with it. We lost in one with when it comes to money. Yeah, I'm sure that's going to be a part of your resolution too.

Mariana Thomas 19:43

Okay, number nine. Ah, take things one thing at a time. I think that we already kind of talked about it, but this year, don't try to chain your entire life all in one day or even in one month, because I know we had gone through some hard times. So ups and downs the last couple years, make small changes, that you will easily be able to stick with long term lesson to them, that you will be elbow to stick with long term.

And that is the hard part when making resolutions. So for example, if you are going out for dinner with your friends, it’s one of your bad habits, right, maybe that's one of your bad habits. Because when you get there, you are not going to make the right choices. So start by finding events such as, I don't know, maybe live music, but these days is kind of hard, so maybe online live music, that will give you an excuse to get together online versus going to a restaurant and order things that you should not be eating, you know, and maybe at the same time, you save some money. So if putting your phone away, maybe spending time with others isn't something you do well, this is another example. Set yourself up for success by leaving it in your purse or coat, right? So sometimes we want to change things right away, but if you do this a little small change and kind of tricks, it can help. Another thing is if talking to people makes you feel nervous. That's one thing you know, a lot of people have been inside, not talking to a lot of people and you're feeling a little nervous right now, to getting back to normal, drink a glass of water before heading out the door or before talking to someone. That will help you to calm your nerves. Slow down. Make it easy for you when you are about to connect with the others. There you go.

Mariana Thomas 22:28

Number 10. I think that it’s number 10. That is the last one, my friends. Don't beat yourself up. It’s very easy. You know, when we set resolutions and maybe we haven't accomplished them by the time that we say we were going to do it, don't beat yourself up. If you sleep once in a while, don't give up completely. You know, give yourself some time to get back on track and know that everyone makes mistakes, sometimes. Also, remind yourself of why your resolutions are important so you will be more motivated to keep going even when it gets hard, because it is going to get harder than easier when you are making changes in your life for the better. If you are not sure how to start on some new habits, ask for help from someone who is successful already, who is doing the thing that you want to be doing, that you want to be already, or consider getting a coach. Yes, a coach like myself. Sometimes, making changes is easier when we talk about the challenges we face rather than trying to go through them on our own. I see it all the time. I have seen it through all the years and that is why my friends, people hire people like me to help them go through the journey. Okay, so the hardest part of any goal setting, usually is well, setting the goal. So let me get you in that little secret. You need to be realistic and smart about what you set out to achieve so that you don't get discouraged by the thought of achieving something unrealistic, or unachievable and when we do that on our own by ourselves can be a little hard. So that's why it's important to create achievable goals with deadlines and reward yourself for meeting them along the way. You know, when I was back in school, my, I remember one of my professors told me this little, quote when we were discussing how people establish their own personal mission statements. I believe this was in college. And he said, “Your mission should not only be a list, or your values, but also a list of things that are possible.

Even though they are aligned with your values, they got to be possible.”. So this has helped me stay committed to my own 2021 Mindful Living Goal Guide that I created, because each time that I accomplish one thing on my list, I feel more motivated to achieve another. So if you want or you would like to help me, and to help you get started down your path towards mindful goal setting, so you can accomplish all your goals, make sure to click on the link on the show notes. And I believe that's going to be the first link and you can get your 2022 Mindful Living Goal Guide. Okay, so you can start setting some realistic goals for 2022. It’s going to be here, my guys, so this is the last week, don't wait any longer. I gave you 10 different things that you can incorporate in, you can download this beautiful guide that will put so much intentionality to it, and start working on those. And again, make sure that you do that so we can get you going. Don't forget to share this episode with your friends and family. If you got some value for this, please share. Please share with everyone, so they can also benefit from setting their goals and their resolutions for the next year.

Mariana Thomas 27:38

So I hope that this added tremendous value to you. I enjoyed creating this episode, and I look forward to our next one. So let me know what you think about this episode. You can write us down, e-mail us, comment on our social media, and share, share, share and download your 2022 Mindful Living Goal Guide. It’s going to be the first link on the show notes. I will see you in the next episode. Bye-bye, friends.

Mariana Thomas 28:14

Thank you for listening everyone and don't forget to go to the show notes and click to download your FREE Mindful and Energetic Living Guide. Also, don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, your families, and everyone out there. I want to get this out there to everyone. So thank you for your support and I'll see you next week.