Setting new year resolutions can be stressful
“It’s a new year, it’s a new me” is a phrase that’s quite popular in January. Listening to all the hype around new year resolutions – not to mention the effort that’s required to achieve them – has made me think about how much pressure we put on ourselves while setting resolutions.
Ready, get stressed, go!
The new year can be a difficult time for everyone who wants to make rapid changes in their lives right from the first day. Although it might seem like a good idea in the beginning, a lot of us tend to set unattainable goals which might be too difficult to follow through or just plain impossible to reach within a specific timeline. This, in turn, ends up creating a sense of dissatisfaction in oneself.
What can unrealistic expectations do?
At any point, unrealistic expectations can break the belief of a person. To counter this, why not have realistic goals which one can keep track of? For instance, if you’re thinking about joining a gym or losing weight, focus on identifying a routine that will comfortably allow you to dedicate a certain amount of time in a day only to work out instead of having strict rules that are difficult to follow. In the long run, you’ll notice that this consistency will help you become healthier which is far more gratifying than focusing on only losing weight in a particular period!
All situations in our life, be in good or bad, happen at any point and not just at the start of the new year. Learning to roll with what happens and making decisions about what needs to change when you’re in the moment is more effective than waiting till the end of the year. Breaking down big resolutions into smaller goals will not only create a sense of achievement but will also mark a steady progressive graph of growth.
Here are some more tips on how to set realistic and stress-free goals:
- Go easy on yourself
- Make smaller lists or to do tasks
- Create a reward-based system for when you complete goals