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You had your new year’s resolution all planned out. This was your year to “insert your missed goal here” :-). You knew exactly what you needed to do; maybe you even got off to a blazing start!
You were absolutely sure this was going to be your year! This goal is as good as in the bag you thought. Then – BAM! – You suddenly realized that your goal is nowhere in sight.
Does this sound familiar?
If you answered yes let me assure you that you’re not alone. If this has happened to you, here’s an approach that might help the next time around. Reaffirm to yourself that most things are accomplished when we’re able to form habits around them.
Much in the same way that negative habits transpire in our lives, so too can we choose to introduce positive ones. The thing you have to remember is that habits are formed through repetition.
Clearly defining your goals is just one step towards attaining them. Equally important is forming habits that go along with the dreams you’ve set for yourself. “How do I form habits,” you ask? It has been said that after 21 days of solid repetition we can create habits around what we desire.
That’s correct – just 21 days, but it has to be a solid 21 days (give or take a few). If you find yourself skipping the intended event right before it becomes a habit, you’ve missed the pattern it often takes and you should plan on starting over as though it were day one again.
In the grand scheme of things, 21 days is not that much of a sacrifice. It may be a bit inconvenient, but the vast number of gains you’ll receive should be well worth it.
So the next time you can’t quite figure out why you couldn’t stick with your intended goal, ask yourself if you were able to stay with it long enough to truly make it a habit.
If the answer was no, now is as good a time as any to get on the ball and develop that habit pattern that will lead to your eventual achievement.
Here’s to your success, Josh Hinds
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