I find myself looking forward to the end of January because I know that’s when the gym activity will return to a normal level. We often have great intentions for the new year, but it is hard to sustain the enthusiasm. I came across a couple of great tips from Franklin Covey’s Victoria Roos Olsson that I think can help to keep the momentum going.
She suggests making a list of habits that you know are important but have slipped a bit. This could be anything such as flossing, exercise, meditation, time planning, scripture study, etc. Look for these daily or weekly routines that make a big difference for you. These are habits we have already tried but lost somewhere along the way. Pick one or two of these to focus on right now. Ask around about how your colleagues, family, and friends do these. See if you can learn some good tips from them to help you pick those one or two habits back up.
Victoria also suggests starting the day with a routine that will remind you of the important things. A morning routine can be helpful for a variety of reasons. For example, she likes to write in her journal each morning and record three important things that need to happen for her that day. Then she writes three things she is grateful for, followed by three wishes. This helps her to prioritize what is happening each day without getting sucked into other people’s agendas (aka checking email).
For us, the key is doing something early in our day that reminds us of what is important. It could be exercise, scripture study, or taking a moment to write down the three things you most want to accomplish that day (one of my favorites). It might be a combination of activities. The power comes from taking a moment to pause and be intentional about the day to set a good direction for what’s to come.
If you find yourself looking for a way to keep those resolutions and habits going, look at the high-value activities that could be tuned up a little and start there. Then remind yourself each morning of what is important and do something that will start you off in the right direction. Doing this might just help your goals last beyond the end of January.