Here are 5 Ways to become the best you for the year. No more random New Years resolutions but instead, intelligent goal settings based on priorities in your life that you have taken time to examine. So, let’s get started.

 Number 1: Identify What’s Good In Your Life and What Needs to Change
All good businesses evaluate their strong traits and areas of the business that need to change for that business to succeed. You should treat your life the same. Don’t just make random changes and resolutions that you will never keep without thinking through what truly is important to you. Most resolutions fail because there is no passion to persevere on bad days.  Like most successful businesses, figure out what are the most important priorities in your life and what needs to change. Write them down and review the changes you vow to make in the coming year.

Number 2:  Make Achievable Goals
Large, lofty goals are nice but usually will not be accomplished simply because of laziness or early failure. Successful people know how to achieve big goals and break them down into smaller, more achievable goals. As you achieve smaller, achievable goals, you get motivated to carry on. Like any worthwhile goals, there will be setbacks. It’s how you deal with the setbacks that matter. Instead of giving up, vow to re-organize or re-strategize the next day to accomplish your goals. For instance, if your bigger goal is to lose 30 pounds, then you should have smaller goals to lose 15 pounds in 3 months which equates to losing one pound per week. Now, if you stay on any reasonable diet and especially if you exercise, you should be able to lose one pound per week. In 6 months, you will have lost close to 30 pounds and in one year, you would have lost about 60 pounds. The ideal is that you set a reasonable goal, and measure it on a weekly basis. Over time, you will be able to lose those 30 pounds in a 6 months period. The difference, instead of losing 30 pounds in one month and failing, you set realistic goals of eating, exercising that you can easily do as a lifestyle change. Do this with all your goals.  

Number 3:  Add Exercise and A Good Diet

Nothing new but eating healthier and adding exercise to your routine will make you feel and look better. A good diet doesn’t mean eliminating your favorite foods. More than likely this isn’t your first rodeo. You can write down this minute the type of foods you will be eating for the week and types of food you will eliminate. It’s not Rocket Science. Make a simple meal plan for yourself that is not overly restrictive and includes vegetables, whole grains, less fattier meats and I guarantee, you will feel so much better.  Add a 20-minute walk on weekends, then increase your walking by adding 2 more 20 minute walking sessions during the weekdays. Slow gradual changes is how successful living works.

Number 4:  Do Something that Helps Others
Do you want to feel happy in life? Then learn to help others. There are organizations that help feed and shelter the homeless. Organizations that minister to other spiritual and emotional needs. They are usually nonprofit organizations that you can find through an Internet search. Maybe it’s an organization at your local church. Join these organizations and be a solution to problems your community faces instead of a complainer. When you become part of the solution, you will be that better person. Also, you don’t necessarily have to reach out to big organizations to get involved. Identify a neighbor or friend who truly needs your help. After you identify people who need your help, figure out how you can be of service to them. Then do it !   Helping others is one of the best ways to increase your own happiness while making this world a better place at the same time.

Number 5:  Be Resilient  and Kind to Yourself

Will you fail sometimes reaching the goals you set? Of course you will. Unlike most, you have not set grand lofty goals but goals that are achievable. As discussed earlier, you turned one big goal into smaller achievable goals that you can measure success. That is how success is achieved. Taking big goals and turning them into smaller achievable goals. But what happens when we don’t do what we said we would do?  Well, we usually give up and make the same resolutions for the New Year.  Failure is part of life, but resilience is having the ability to fail but getting up and trying again until our goals are reached. In other words, not giving up in the face of failure. But to do this, we need to be kind to ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up because you failed or because you don’t feel like accomplishing an important task for that day. Just know, tomorrow is another day, and you will get that important task done the next day. You will succeed in the following days. You will put one foot in front of the other and move forward with your plans the next day or the next week. Don’t wait too long to act on your plans but don’t beat yourself up on days when nothing gets done or when plans go awry. It’s called LIFE. Be Resilient