Holiday Aftermath

January 3rd, 2012

Todd

You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

Is your route mapped out?

Last time that we chatted I mentioned how many (ok, most) people come out of the holiday season ready to make New Year’s Resolutions. This time we’re going to dig a little deeper.

According to Serge Prengel, 40-45% of Americans make resolutions.

I’d be willing to bet that 75% of those resolutions had to do with losing weight or getting in shape.

If you think about it, that makes perfect sense – the end of November, all the way through the end of December is mostly spent eating yummy foods at parties.

Oh, and the leftovers. Those glorious leftovers. See, it’s not enough that we binge at a holiday gathering.

One day of throwing caution to the wind for a party may not kill you. But then we continue to munch on the leftovers for the days that follow.

And let us not forget about those libations that we drink at said parties. Alcohol, especially mixed drinks, aren’t exactly good for the old waist line.

With the ground work laid, is it any wonder that we feel horrible about ourselves come New Year’s Eve?

Goals, and stuff.

Here’s the awesome thing about goals – you can change them. For that matter, when you assess and reassess your goals, you can completely do a 180º turn.

Taking time at the beginning of the year to think about the changes that you want to make is an awesome idea.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

The reason that so many New Year’s resolutions go the way of the Dodo bird is that they aren’t thought through.

You have to consider a few things:

Why do you want to make the change?
What are you willing to give up in order to make the change?
Will this change affect others, either positively or negatively?
Is this going to be short or long term, both in the journey to change, and in the affect?

Next time week we’ll take this information and formulate a game plan.

Photo: Roger Kirby

Resolution Madness
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do they work?…
Set Yourself Up for Success
We’ve prioritized. We’ve pondered. Now it’s time to ask the questions that will determine if a goal is even worth pursuing….
Goals – It’s Inventory Time
The first step in setting goals is to prioritize current commitments. See what can and can not be shifted or deleted from your schedule….
The S.M.A.R.T Program
Failing to plan is planning to fail. The S.M.A.R.T. Program helps to make a good plan….