Many of us laugh at the thought of making New year’s resolutions because roughly 80% of them fail by February.
Instead of giving up on them completely, use these 6 tips to be one of the millions of people across the country who improve their life by turning a resolution into a full blown life change for the better!
Work to Keep your New Year's Resolutions
1. Identify an Area for Improvement
The life of an over-the-road truck driver is rewarding but can also be tremendously difficult. Sacrifice defines the profession as truckers spend a considerable amount of time away from their home and loved ones. Inevitably, keeping America running by dedicating day after day to life on the road puts enormous strain on other areas of your life.
The first step to solving any problem is admitting there is one. Start by identifying which of these 7 broad areas of your life may need some work: Family, Physical, Spiritual, Career, Intellectual, Social, Financial. Knowing what area(s) of your life you want to improve allows you to narrow your focus and map out a plan to achieve your resolution.
2. Goal Setting
Once you pinpoint an area of your life that you would like to see changed, set a concrete goal that will make it happen.
- You want to get in better physical shape?
- Make it a goal limit fast food to only once or twice a week on the road.
- You want more financial success?
- Make it a goal to listen to at least one personal finance podcast each day while driving.
- Are you dissatisfied with your current job?
- Apply to trucking companies that better suit your situation.
Set specific, measurable goal outcomes so that you can attain success or hold yourself accountable if you don’t meet your goal. Just the act of setting a goal encourages new behavior, guides focus, and promotes self-control.
3. Talk About It
Truck drivers go through many of the same struggles in the course of any day, week, or month on the road. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your fellow truckers for their insight about your goals. They’ve probably experienced something similar themselves, or at least they know someone else who has.
Tell your friends and family about your resolutions, too. Other people will be able to help motivate you, support you when things get difficult, and offer strategies to achieve your resolution in ways you may not have considered before.
4. Have A Purpose
Motivation comes pretty easily on January 1st when you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed thinking about resolutions that will better your life. It’s a lot more difficult once you’re a few weeks in and the challenges of making a change set in. In these inevitable times of doubt, it’s important to remember why you’re chasing your resolution. Being aware of your purpose, and frequently reminding yourself of that purpose, will keep you on track in moments of weakness. Say you’re chasing a goal for your family. Tape a picture of your loved ones to your dashboard, so you’re regularly remembering the reason you’re sacrificing whenever you think about giving up. Having a constant reminder of your purpose will help you persist with your resolution.
5. Visualize Success
The Law of Attraction states that positive or negative thoughts bring positive or negative experiences into a person’s life. You’re probably familiar with the old adage “he who thinks he can and he who thinks he can’t are both usually right.”
Create a vivid picture in your mind about what it will look like and what it will feel like once you accomplish your new year’s resolution. It takes intentional action to spark change. It may feel silly at first, but by visualizing success, you’re putting yourself in the right headspace to attract the change that your resolution seeks.
6. Start Small
While it’s appealing to set big, lofty goals, taking on too much too quickly is a surefire way to burnout and not make any progress. Small steps lead to big results. Instead of setting a huge goal that seems overwhelming or impossible, break it into small, actionable steps that will incrementally lead to results. Saying you want to lose 50 pounds is daunting and it’s not going to happen overnight.
Alternatively, setting specific health goals, such as eat one fruit and one vegetable every day is realistic, quickly obtainable, and builds momentum towards conquering more small goals in the immediate future. Over time, small victories add up to achieve the big, lofty goal you would have set and not reached if you tried to tackle it all at once.
By using these 6 tips, you will improve your odds of achieving your new year’s resolutions, as well as any other goals you set throughout the year. The past few years have been a struggle for many Americans. While the upcoming year may sound like "2020 - two," you can put the past behind and navigate to a new and improved route by following these guidelines to improve your life and reach new goals.
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