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The most important step in accomplishing any dream is to plan. Planning not only gives your dream a more concrete feel, but it also allows you to get an idea of how long it will take and what you might need to succeed. Whether that’s taking a vacation to another country, starting up a business, or writing a book, getting that first rough idea will help you in the long run. Even with the pandemic, you can still plan. If you want to travel, now might be the perfect time to start saving so when traveling restrictions are lifted, you don’t have to worry about money. To get started, set some time aside to think about what your dreams are and start on a plan. I know that’s easier said than done. I have a hard time getting some free time in my own schedule, but what I’ve found that helps is to actually account for that planning. If you use a scheduling app, or even Google Calendar, to keep your day straight, open it up and find some time where you aren’t so busy. That could be in a week, even two
these can happen, but they are very rare. Usually, to accomplish things, it takes time and effort. All dreams can evolve from a figment of an idea and become a reality; all it takes is that first step. As we enter into 2021, I want to encourage everyone to rekindle their dreams and make them shine.
weeks — no matter when that gap in your schedule is, jot down some time so you can plan for your dreams. Even if you can only spend 5–10 minutes on it over several days, it’s still better than no planning at all.
The thing about dreams is that they aren’t overnight successes. Dreams like
HOW HABIT TRACKING AND DAILY RESOLUTIONS COULD TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE
too hard on yourself if you miss a day, but know that sticking to a new habit is serious work, so starting small might help you out. Another important aspect of forming new daily habits is rewarding yourself. Bad habits, like smoking, have an inherent reward. However, healthy habits can have rewards too! Try consuming a bit of dark chocolate after a workout or treating yourself to a fresh beverage or relaxing to a podcast after tackling an important task. Find ways to reward yourself, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your new habit. Certain daily resolutions don’t have to be related to exercise or diet to majorly improve your life. For example, having a gratitude journal might boost your long- term happiness by 10% and improve your blood pressure. Don’t hesitate to improve your quality of life! Just start small, and you’ll be amazed by how far you’ll go.
Luckily, sticking with these habits might be as easy as making daily resolutions to complement your yearly goals. BJ Fogg, a Stanford University professor and author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” notes that tiny habits can make a new habit easy to implement into your daily ritual. For example, taking a short daily walk could lead to an exercise habit, or keeping an apple in your bag every day could encourage healthier snacking. It’s important that you stick with it because habits take a long time to create. One study published by the European Journal of Social Psychology asked people about a simple habit they wanted to form, like drinking water at lunch or taking a walk before dinner. They found that the average amount of time it took before the action became automatic was 66 days! Don’t be
Yearly resolutions are so last year … if they’re your only resolutions, that is.
Having long-term goals isn’t a bad thing, but do you have a daily plan to reach them? The huge boost of motivation in January isn’t always enough to sustain you all year long. That’s why there are major benefits to starting new healthy habits, whether you increase your weekly exercise time, eat healthier foods, or work on getting better or more sleep.
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