It just hit you. The school buses are back on the road, September starts tomorrow, and you've done shit this year. Sure you've done stuff, but nothing that you REALLY wanted to do. That New Year's resolution that turned into a 'begging of Summer promise', is now your 'back to school goal' and will most likely turn into 'after the holidays, I'm gonna start pledge.'
Well, there's 4 months to go before you have to reflect on 2016. You want to start crying now or start the change today?
Susie Moore over at Greatist.com helps us realize that it's not the end of the world and it's not the end of the year.
The best way to kick off any positive movement? First, stop being so hard on yourself. Acknowledge the good things you’ve already accomplished this year. And they exist, even if it doesn’t seem like it—I promise! – Greatist.com
The acknowledgement step can be done on your own, but I find it may be more fruitful if you have some friends help you reflect on what has happened in your life this year. I've done the reflecting process and things that I categorize as meh or okay, friends see differently, making me realize that some of my accomplishments and activities are greater than I perceive. They also may say you're a lazy bastard and that might in turn motivate your ass a little more.
Here are her two steps on making tomorrow the first day of the rest of your life! or at least 2016.
Step One: Reflect
1. What unexpected lessons did I learn this year?
2. Have my desires shifted?
Step Two: Set Goals
1. Write down three specific things you really, really want.
2. Set goals (and a timeline) for each desire.
Susie Moore does go more into detail about the above steps over at Greatist.com.
Will these steps work for you ? Do you think that will help you get your summer bod now? Will it get your bills in order? Will it make you go on more dates?
I agree that there are sometimes too many goals to achieve, the list gets long, you have to decide which one to do first, but then you choose the wrong one. I recall a bit of advice I received years ago you may have heard before and it has helped me in many ways. Make your bed every day. Here's a good video to help get that point across.
Will making your bed give you your summer body with 6 pack abs? That would be a no. But making your bed each day may turn into doing a couple of sit ups afterward. It may make you feel good enough to work on another small item off your list. Small accomplishments can snowball into larger ones. And what better time to snowball than starting in Fall, into Winter, and maybe by Summer, that bod will be here, or you'll be less in debt, or you'll have that boyfriend.
What has worked for you in setting goals?
What advice can you give our readers?
h/t: greatist.com