We can’t all be perfect. Every year many of us participate in the same ritual of setting unrealistic and nigh-unachievable goals to work on for the coming year. Whether it is losing weight, exercising more, eating healthier, learning a new language, or just trying to get out of the same rut you have been in for years, most of us have something in our life we want to improve. However, the next year, is often the same as the last. However, all is not lost. Try some of these tips to help you improve your chances of success in your attempts at change.
Keep Track of Your Progress
The easiest way to keep change is to track it. Make a list of milestones you can mark off as you reach them. You can use Google Tasks or Apple Reminders on your phone to make simple lists. Keep a journal of your accomplishments. Use a calorie tracker like Lose It! or myFitnessPal if you are aiming for weight loss. These will all help you keep track of your progress. In addition, they will eventually help you visualize your progress.
SMART Goals
Sometimes the goals we set for ourselves are wholly unrealistic. To fix this break your task up into smaller SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. They are something like, “I will learn 3 pounds by the end of this month.” See how much easier that is to accomplish than say, “I will lose weight this year.” Making small incremental changes in realistic periods will help you get to your larger goals.
Choosing an Improvement
Perhaps you do not have any big changes you really want to make, but you instead want to learn a new language or skill. We have you covered here at the library. If you just want a casual overview, Rosetta Stone Level one is available through the INPSIRE database. For more in-depth lessons in language learning, try Pronunciator. Perhaps you wanted to learn a new recipe; you could try either our World Food or Food America databases.
I hope that these tips can help you find the change you want to make in your life. From all of us at the library, have a Happy New Year!
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