I know the beginnings of most things are really exciting. You're motivated and determined to make a positive change. However, somewhere along the road you fall off. Or maybe that's just me? I know in the past I've had a long list of resolutions that I eventually forgot about or didn't care enough to stick with. I wanted this year to be different. I wanted to not just talk about changes, but be about those changes. I remember having a conversation with my fiancé about wanting to lose weight and he kept telling me that if I wanted to do it I would have to make the commitment to go to the gym and change my eating habits. It sounds so simple, but he was right. Only talking about something will not bring results. I kept doing the same things over and over but expected a different results. I knew something had to change.
I enjoy social media and saw that a lot of my student affairs colleagues participating in #oneword. You can read more about it here. This inspired me to forgo traditional new years resolutions and goals for #oneword. The word I chose is discipline. As I reflected on what I wanted to accomplish in the upcoming year and what I was currently lacking, it was discipline. I want discipline to saturate every area of my life. I have also come up with a few specific goals to go along with this:
·
Write at least once a month (Blog & Poetry)
·
Go to the gym at least 3 days a week
·
Pray daily
·
Stop self hate talk and if I do immediately call it out and change
my thoughts & words
·
Be more kind- Find ways to do a random act of kindness at least
once a week
I chose these specific goals to
go along with discipline because I believe it will give me some direction. As
well, these are all areas I’ve previously struggled in and having specific goals around them will help me improve. As much as I want to keep my #oneword at the forefront of what I do, I know there will be times when that doesn’t happen. There will be days when I fail in regards to discipline and I’ve decided that is okay. I have to remember that even when I fall down that I am enough and capable of getting back up. Even when it gets hard and I feel alone in my efforts, I have to remind myself that I am enough and reach out for help.
I know it won't be easy, but I'm committed to doing this for me. I hope those reading this can be an encouragement to me and hold me accountable to my commitment as I hope to encourage and help others along the way.
So what are your goals for 2014? Do you have a #oneword? How can I support you?
Love this Mika - glad to see you're blogging! To help with your oneword resolution, I recommend putting it in places you can see. Find quotes on Pinterest with your word and post them at your desk, mirror, fridge, or wherever you will stop to remember them. Having my oneword on a necklace last year was a great way to remember to find the Joy in my life.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading more from you!
Thanks Becca!I appreciate the advice. I will start a new board on Pinterest and try to put Discipline everywhere I can! I appreciate your support on this journey! :)
ReplyDeleteLove this! Excited to follow your blog. My goal for life (so not really a resolution per se... ) is to be more patient. I appreciate your interest in being more authentic.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, Mika! I noticed the #oneword conversations our SA folks were having, too and have chosen a word for myself: initiative. I struggle with motivating myself to get things started, so I'm hoping that by keeping initiative at the forefront of my thinking this year, I will be able to accomplish many of my goals! And I love the idea that Becca posted about creating a Pinterest board and putting relevant quotes where they are most likely to be seen!
ReplyDeleteMy advice for you is to remember that it can take 30-60 days to form a habit, so sticking to your goals during this first month or so will help tremendously in getting through the rest of the year! :)
Chanelle- Thanks for reading and following! Love the word patient, would love to hear how that goes for you!
ReplyDeleteJessa- Hey OPI friend!! Thanks for sharing about your word initiative. I'd love to hear how you see that play out in work and personal life. Thanks for the advice as well. My goal is stay as disciplined as possible until March! I know that if I can get into a good habit up until that point, I'll probably be in good shape!