We do it every year on January 1st. People think of some impossible resolution and commit to accomplishing it. Never mind that it did not work last year or the year before. This year, you stick to it! This year, you accomplish the impossible.
The reality is the problem is not our lack of commitment, but the fact that we set goals that are too high. By aiming for too much, people set themselves up for failure. If you need to lose 50 pounds to hit a target weight and have never been able to trim more than a pound here or there, do not resolve to drop it all in one year. Instead, make more manageable resolutions and stick with them. Limiting unhealthy foods, joining and going to a gym 2 days per week, and aiming for 20 pounds over the year are all possible with work. Committing to giving up your favorite treats will just leave you with impossible cravings. Hitting the gym 5 days per week will leave you burned out. And aiming for 50 pounds will frustrate you if you are struggling.
Whether your goal is losing weight, eating healthier, earning more money, going back to school, or spending more time with your family, start by aiming for reasonable goals. Often women find themselves having one of two different difficulties through their adult lives. If they have families, they may have given up a chance to earn a degree in order to stay home and have children. That may mean you are at a disadvantage when looking for work.
So how do you change that? Go to school full time in the evenings, stay home during the afternoons with the children while your spouse is at work, and work at night to pay the tuition? Instead start by looking for scholarships or grants for mothers. Many programs and universities throughout the world are willing to help parents go back to school. The next option is applying for a Pell Grant or student loans. That may be more difficult if your family is at a certain income level but it is still worth investigating. Last, consider simply slowing down the pace. Going back to school is a great step but it is not one you have to rush. Many programs offer online classes meaning you can work on that from home and take on part time work if you need in the evening. You can also simply take a few classes per semester and simply go to school 1 or 2 nights per week. By forcing yourself to attend full time while balancing a family and possibly a job, you may burn yourself out.
The other possibility is letting careers take over their lives. Men are not the only ones guilty of this. Whether you are working to earn a promotion, trying to simply get a raise, or just have a very strong work ethic it can be very easy to forget about you. Remember when you resolve to work harder and accomplish certain goals in the workplace to take small steps and leave yourself and your family if you have one, time.
It may seem strange but impossible goals can do more harm than good. Aim for reasonable, smaller achievements throughout the year and what seemed impossible may be doable over time.
