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How To Track Your Goals This New Year

By Chikodi Anwasi

16 January 2022   |   7:37 am

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It is a New Year and everyone has plans; Career advancement, New clothes, More money, New year resolutions, Everything new. Let’s be honest, we promise to change things this month, but by now, some have abandoned their resolution, struggling to maintain them or making aggressive changes. If you belong to the latter, good job! If you…

With planning comes a better 2022. Photo POPSUGAR

It is a New Year and everyone has plans; Career advancement, New clothes, More money, New year resolutions, Everything new.

Let’s be honest, we promise to change things this month, but by now, some have abandoned their resolution, struggling to maintain them or making aggressive changes. If you belong to the latter, good job! If you belong to the other two, all hope is not lost! We have provided ways you can adopt to set goals and maintain changes in your lifestyle.

Set realistic goals: There are things we all want to achieve and some people set this year as their deadline. It is okay and commendable to set goals and a timeframe for yourself, but when doing that, make a list of all that is needed to achieve them, the advantages as well as the disadvantages. The goals you set for yourself are important to your overall success in your lifestyle changes, and setting realistic goals and building on them will help you stay motivated.

Start small: Identify realistic short-term and long-term goals, then work on defined and measured steps. Set weekly targets for your goals and do not proceed to the next step if you are not satisfied with the results of the initial step.

Work on one change at a time and track your progress: You cannot make a lot of changes at the same time. Focus on one change at a time because it requires patience, dedication, hard and smart work. Your physical, mental and emotional health are also important and you need to understand how they interact when setting up your plan. Tracking your progress will show you how far you have achieved and where you want to go.

• Sleep for up to 7-9 hours at night so that your body has time to regenerate and recharge.
• Drink a lot of water so that your body stays hydrated.
• Exercise daily if you can, but if you cannot, exercise up to 3-4 days a week to provide additional endorphins that will help your body and brain perform at peak level.
• Eat fruits daily to build and maintain a healthy eating habit.
• Maintain personal hygiene: Clean your environment, change your undergarments, bathe twice daily.

Support. Photo IStockphoto

Find a lifestyle friend: This is one of the easiest ways to make lifestyle changes. Getting a friend that is committed to the process will make you accountable and will help you think of new habits to create and keep you motivated.

Recruit support from family and friends: This is one of the most important tips. Be sure to get support from your family and friends even if they will not participate but if you have even one person that is willing to participate, that will make it better because you will both encourage each other and hold each other accountable. If you feel unable to meet your set goals, seek counselling. Even a few sessions can help you observe and set attainable goals.

Set a start date: No day is too late to start. Even if you start in the middle of the month, it is okay. All that matters is your continuity.

Making the changes that you want takes a lot of time, commitment, and patience. If you feel some things do not sit right with you anymore, let go of them and be firm in your decision and do not allow anyone to coerce you.