It’s all about how many lifts you can do over time. Source: Fittestravel
- Be consistent with your routine
- Work in manageable bite-sized
- Affirm your stance in a mirror
- Place your resolution in places where you can see them
- Set your milestones
It’s been a few days past the year 2022. You are early to the gym and upon entry, you find many others just like you, with their New Year, New Me attitude. Their collective energy is motivating. But come a little closer and notice the body odour, especially when everyone is on a high protein diet and sweating in an enclosed, air-conditioned area. Great. Just great! The good news is that the gym should clear up after a month or two, thanks to those who cannot maintain the same level of intensity to fulfill their new year resolution. Are you laughing at them? Don’t. Because you could be next! I know I’m certainly one of them. But here comes the pertinent question. How are we supposed to keep this up?
Consistency
This is a year-long resolution. Read it again, mate. Source: Freepik
I am sure you recall the famed childhood story of the race between the tortoise and the rabbit. Who doesn’t? The central theme of this famed tale is the triumph of humility over arrogance, but honestly, I think there is so much more to this. The slow trotting tortoise displays unshakable consistency along the race, although logically, it is almost certain to lose. This virtue is what drives us to succeed in our resolutions. Oftentimes, we begin the year with a burst of energy, training long hours in the gym, subsisting on a strict diet and more. Sadly, this energy fizzles up as fast as it started.
Hold up. If this is you, please do not blame yourself. Trust me when I say it is only natural. One way to retain that energy is by working slowly on your resolution, and in small doses. Once you have acclimated yourself with the strain of the effort, then try bringing it up a notch. For those planning to give up, take periodic breaks instead of throwing down the towel. Everyone needs a rest once in a while, don’t we?
Divide and conquer, muahahaha
Let us not bite off more than we could chew. Source: unsplash
Let’s assume you are planning to improve your computer skills, take for example, be better at Microsoft Excel, Canva and Adobe Photoshop. Now with this new project looming ahead of us, we will undoubtedly be tempted to work on everything at once. But just calm down for a second! We’re no octopus with eight limbs. If you do, then congratulations are in order, but this article is for humans, so you can swim back to wherever you came from. First things first, divide your resolution into manageable bite-sized pieces and focus on one at a time. If you get easily bored by routine, then switch between them to maintain freshness. Or better, assign a priority ranking for your resolution and work on them according to the order. Think of Dominoes!
Mirror, mirror on the wall
The words we speak are like prayers. It affects us on a subliminal level. Source: Letsreachsuccess
I assure you the mirror has many other purposes besides what the wicked witch has been doing since time immemorial as portrayed in Hollywood movies and cartoons. Besides using it for checking your appearance, you can also use it to improve your mindset, gain confidence and channel out your negative energies. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? You, of course! After all, beauty is subjective. Here’s how we do this. Look right into your own eyes, then verbalise loudly the changes that you want to happen to yourself.
Looking for affirmation scripts to say into the mirror? Look no further:
- I can complete my resolution
- I will find the energy to work on bettering myself
- I do not doubt my abilities
- I am strong
- I exhale negativity and inhale only the positive
Mirror affirmation is not the only method to redefine your mindset. As for me, I love meditating during the wee hours of the morning, on the balcony where it is peaceful and quiet. All you require is a fraction of your time, say 10 to 15 minutes. Just the act of breathing in and out slowly will bring relaxation to your being, which in turn gives you the calm required to facilitate a positive mindset. During meditation, you can induce positive affirmations with your inner voice.
Everyone needs new reminders
Face it. We often forget things, so it is unsurprising when we fail to uphold our resolution as time goes by. The safest way is to write down your resolution and hang it up at a place where we are bound to notice. Want to get that swell body? Place it right above the mirror where you can see it every time you brush your teeth or shave your beard. Do you have a great idea for a novel and it has yet to be typed out? Place your resolution on the wall just behind your work laptop. Be creative. I’m sure you will find the right place to keep your resolution visible.
Realistic revisions
Sometimes we need to sweat or walk a little to find out if the resolution we wrote is realistically achievable. Do not feel ashamed if you realise that this is the case. Sit back and take a couple of breaths before returning to the drawing board to draft a new plan. What’s important is that you are comfortable with the current level of effort. Treat your goal like a journey through the year, not a sprint that will last for a month or two.
