Happy New Year to You all!
Many of use believe that there is always room for improvement, that is why millions of people establish resolutions each NEW YEAR.
Experts agree that setting goals for yourself is an important step in achieving what you want. however, if you take a moment to reflect upon last year's resolutions, you will probably discover that somehow most of those resolutions have slipped away unfulfilled. What went wrong?
Setting resolutions has become as common an activity each December 31st. Unfortunately, the yearly routine of establishing resolutions is not always followed by a plan to attain them. having a plan is like having a travel directions: with them, you not only know where you want to go but also how to get there. A plan is absolutely vital to enable you to keep your resolutions. If your resolutions are realistic and you follow a good plan, there is no reason that you can't make a resolution come true. But before getting started, it is important to note the difference between goals and resolutions. A goal is a result that you strive towards while a resolution involves personal changes you will need to make in order to achieve a goal.
Consider these examples:
1. Your goal is to achieve your black belt while your resolution is to attend class more consistently. One person's resolution can be another person's goal, as in this example.
2. your goal is to attend class more consistently and your resolution is to make More time in your personal life to enable you to attend class more regularly.
Here's a plan that you can use for all your goals and resolutions, not just the ones you set on December 31:
Step 1 - Put in writing : Write your goal on paper or type it in a text document on your computer: Seeing is believing for example: I want to become a great Black Belt.
Step 2 - List Your Strategies: Write down everything that you think you will need to do to achieve your goal. These are your resolutions. for example, resolve to attend class 8 to 10 times per month, resolve to eat healthy food , resolve to practise at home at least twice per week, resolve to ask for help when you don't understand a technique.
Step 3 - Take Action: This is a tricky step because you need to be motivated in order to act. Motivation is sometimes lacking because at times a resolution you make may be difficult or even undesirable to act upon. This is where your Martial Arts training really helps you by building the self - confidence to take that "leap-of-faith" first step.
Step 4 - perform Frequent Check-ups: you are responsible for your goals. Therefore, you must make it a priority to evaluate your progress and to determine if your action is taking you towards success. Expect set-backs! Any challenging goal or resolution is bound to face obstacles. routine check-ups allow you to identify obstacles that you need to overcome, and also to monitor the progress you are making which will increase your motivation.
Step 5 - Adjust and Cycle: Now that you have achieved some results and you have identified some obstacles you may need to make adjustments and cycle back to step 1. Knowing what you know now, has your goal changed? Maybe it was too easy or too hard. What can be added to your "To do" list (step 2)? What isn't working that should be deleted? Continue to "Take Action", perform "Frequent Check-ups", and "Adjust and Cycle" until you reach the desired result. If you are serious about making a major or minor change in yourself for the NEW Year, make a commitment to follow this five-step plan to success.
Keep your chin-up, keep training and all will come to you.
Mr Darren Hunter
http://www.solomartialarts.com/
