How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Do you even remember what they are? I am honestly not sure I remember all of mine. A friend and I wrote our resolutions down, put them in an envelope, and gave them to each other to be opened when we get together for New Year’s, 2017. Out of the three, I can only remember one – and I have not been killing it by any means!
For the sake of our sanity, it is best to remember that the last few months are gone and there is nothing we can do about it. What we can do is start today! It is warmer out. We have sunshine to motivate us. And, we still have seven and a half months to make some serious progress.
Here is how summer can work for us. Ready?
May: Take the rest of the month to ponder, pray, and consider your resolutions. If you have forgotten them or would rather work towards something else, make up new resolutions. That is allowed! Write out your goals as specifically as you can.
I want to be able to run a 5k race without stopping by September 1st.
I want to be finished with my thesis by October 15th.
I want to rekindle relationships with five long-lost buddies by November 1st.
June: Create a step-by-step completion plan and start the ball rolling. Once momentum is behind you, it will be easier to keep it going!
I am going to run with a friend three days a week. For the first week, we will walk two minutes and run one until we reach thirty total minutes. The second week, we will walk two minutes and run a minute and a half until we reach thirty total minutes….
May is about nailing down the goal and June is about creating an action plan and getting the plan in motion.
July: It is time to crush the plan! You have declared your goal, created a plan for your goal, pushed the boulder off the cliff, and now you are picking up steam!
- The running is going great! I just have to keep it up and not give in to the excuses. Friends’ support is key to my success!
- I have made a huge dent in my thesis now that I am working on a schedule. I have worked my other obligations around this goal and am committed to spending two nights a week working on it solely.
- I am thrilled with my progress and cannot wait until it is behind me!
Last week, I hosted a dinner and invited two of my five friends with whom I wish to reconnect. It was a huge success. We made future plans so I know I will see them again! Now, I have two more events to plan before the end of the summer. Lord willing, I will be able to see everyone on my list by then, and hopefully our friendships will be revived by November. My ultimate goal is to have them all over to my house for Friendsgiving in early November!
August: Revel in your success and finish strong! There is such power in focus. When we attack a goal with passion and intensity, we can make huge strides in just a few months. When I watch Extreme Weight Loss in the summer, I am continually amazed at how much weight Chris Powell’s clients lose in the first 90 days. That goal which eludes you may not be as much of a pipe dream as you think!
Even if your “due date” is beyond the summer months, you can get an amazing start if you follow this simple construct. Sometimes we just need to get started and the rest takes care of itself. The hardest part of exercise for me is: putting on my socks and shoes. (Not kidding.) Once I am dressed for success, the workout is not so bad.
The same is true in my non-exercise efforts. After I make the grocery list, the shopping, cooking, and eating healthy foods is not so bad.
Once I overcome the power of the blank page, the writing is not so difficult (Most of the time. ~wink~ Writer’s block is real!)!
After I take the initiative to begin a conversation with a stranger in Walmart, the rest is typically fine and dandy.
Make sure you reward your initial efforts by creating and following a plan to succeed and finish strong. You can! I can! Let’s do it, friends!
How can you and your sweetie bless each other’s efforts to complete a resolution this summer?