A Simple Way To Stay On Track

I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly been guilty of setting an intention and then forgetting all about it when life starts to feel busy! In my first blog post of 2019 I talked about how important it is to remind ourselves of our goals and resolutions if we want to make a change.

Last time, I suggested that a habit tracker might help. But I also know from my mentoring work that this is not the right solution for everyone. For some, trackers are a useful, motivating reminder of their good intentions, but for others they quickly become a source of frustration and guilt. If you beat yourself up when you fall short of your own, high expectations, a tracker might not be a good idea. If you’re expecting to maintain a perfect record, it won’t take long until you’re disappointed… we’re only human after all!

So today I’d like to suggest another way to keep your good intentions front and centre. It might sound simple, but it can make a big difference!

Write down three or four statements that reflect the change you want to make. Things like “I will go out for a walk at least four times a week” or “I will tidy my desk at the end of every day”. Then, put those statements somewhere you’ll see them. At the front of your journal, on a wall in your office, on the inside of the door to the cupboard where the teabags live.

Then, each morning as you open your journal, sit down at your desk, wait for the kettle to boil (whatever works for you), read those statements to yourself. Declare them out loud if there’s no-one around, or you could ask for accountability if there is. Connecting with your intentions every day will embed them in your noggin as a reminder of what you’re aiming for.

You’re not putting ticks in boxes or keeping score, but engaging with your resolutions in this way gives you a far greater chance of success than writing them in a notebook on January 1st and never looking at them again!

I have a little confession to make: sometimes I write a blog post and then hesitate before hitting publish. Am I stating the obvious? This isn’t rocket science, can it really be of value to people? And then I remember my mission - to help people find the simple path to getting things done without stress and overwhelm. Yes, there are many other things you could do to make a habit stick, but the simple act of writing it down and looking at it daily is a great place to start!