Set Your Mid-Year Resolutions!

Needless to say, 2020 has been eventful. All the exciting things you’ve planned for – a trip overseas, hitting the gym regularly, spending more time with friends – had to be scrapped. Thanks, pandemic! Luckily, things are picking up, with fewer Covid-19 cases being reported (we hope it stays that way!) Which means, you can finally start living 2020 again!

Want to make the most of whatever’s left of the year? Time to set new goals and finish your 2020 on a higher note. Here are some pointers on how to get started.

STAY POSITIVE
2020 has been a drag – we don’t blame you if you don’t feel like doing anything for the rest of the year, or if you feel like your year is wasted and you didn’t really achieve much. Take a deep breath, step back and embrace whatever achievement you’ve had so far – big or small. Find ways to celebrate them because it will help you feel good about yourself and positive about the rest of the year, enough to want to make other changes. More importantly, it will encourage your optimism and you’ll start feeling like yes, you can achieve what you wanted to for 2020.

“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave.” -Harvey Mackay

BE REALISTIC
A common mistake when setting resolutions? Having too big of a goal, which leads to frustration when you don’t achieve it. Let’s get real – it is unlikely you’ll kick every bad habit you have, be fluent in seven new languages, and get a brand new university degree, all by December. Instead, be honest and realistic about what you can achieve. You don’t have to move mountains; a win, regardless how small, is still a win.

BE SPECIFIC
It’s difficult to find a place to start when you set yourself a goal too ambiguous. For example, instead of “be healthy,” you can tell yourself to “quit smoking” and “exercise four times a week.” These are clearer resolutions you are more likely to follow. If it helps, break your goals into steps that you can check on daily, weekly, or monthly for the rest of the year.

WRITE IT DOWN
It’s hard to remember what you set out to do when there’s so much chaos going on, especially now. Writing down your resolutions serves as a reminder of what you’d like to achieve in the next few months. Have it posted up somewhere you can check in regularly, whether it is on your wall or laptop wallpaper – this will help you stay focused and move forward.

FOCUS ON WHAT MOTIVATES YOU
Set goals that are important to you. Don’t aim to do something just because everyone else is or because your parents told you to. If your heart is not in it, there is a chance you won’t meet your resolutions. Be clear about why you want to achieve that specific resolution and you’ll go at it with a “I’m going to do this!” perspective.

Photo by Isaac Smith on Unsplash