Goals Don’t Have to Be All or Nothing

So you took some time earlier this month, and set goals for 2012.  Are you steady on your path to success?

Many of us start the New Year by saying that we are going to be healthier, exercise more, stop/start doing XYZ, etc. And many times, usually a few weeks or a month in, we stumble, and inevitably, beat ourselves up over it. We lose whatever momentum we created and any motivation to keep pushing. We feel like we failed, and many of us completely give up and return to our old ways.

We have to remember that we are all capable of change, but it doesn’t happen overnight. The problem is that we expect to be able to say we want something to change and get instant results. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Habits are hard to reverse, and it takes time, commitment and hard work to make a change. No one said goal-setting was easy!

The solution — and one of the hardest things to do — is to change your mindset. If you think of your goals as a work in progress and accept that there will be times when things are not perfect, you can make forward progress slowly by chipping away a little at a time. It’s all about baby steps. And giving up on 100% instant change and perfection.

If you find that you’re completely stuck and unsure of what to do next, this post by Dianna about reevaluating your goals is a great place to start.

If you reverted to your old habits and are having trouble refocusing, take some time to reflect on the success you’ve had so far. Did you stick with your goals for a week, or even a few days? Celebrate that! Look at what went right and work on duplicating it, one day at a time. Identify where you could use some help, and ask for it.

If today is the day you feel like you failed, and are considering throwing in the towel, give yourself permission to take a break. You are not a failure. You are human. Rest up, collect your determination, and get ready to hit it again full force. Tomorrow is always a new day.

Image credit: boquerones 

Related posts:

1. Evaluate Your Resolution Goals and Gain a Second Wind
2. Making Goals for the New Year Instead of Resolutions
3. SMART Goals for Weight Loss Success
4. Setting Goals for 2009
5. Blogger Resolutions – Setting Blog Goals for 2012