Welcome to 2024!
I don't do resolutions at the new year. January is also my birthday month so there's a lot of turnover happening for me around this time. I focus on habits and on splitting my larger goals into manageable chunks and working steadily chunk by chunk to reach those goals. If I'm not succeeding, I go back to see if I can break the goal down into smaller chunks that I can accomplish.
Sound familiar?
Yeah, I train myself just like I train our dogs. I do that because it works. Setting the learner up for success and rewarding them frequently enough that they stay in the game works for everyone!
For example, I had a gratitude practice last year where I tried to list 5 things I was grateful for at the end of each day. The things that worked for me were:
I have a notebook and could easily write my entries in that
The entries could be big, small, or anything in between
I find writing lists very rewarding so I was more likely to do it
I often recorded what I was grateful for but definitely not every night. I would say probably not even an average of 5 days per week. I went weeks where I recorded every day and other times when I didn't record for weeks. When I did write my list I felt good. It helped me go to sleep with pleasant, hopeful thoughts.
Was it rewarding enough to create a habit? Apparently not.
What could I change to make me more likely to keep up with the practice?
Accountability - I could find a partner to report to once a day/week/month
Lower criteria - Are 5 things too many per day? Could I do 3? What about 1?
Tangible rewards - I can set goals for tangible rewards for any recording streaks
I'll let you know how I do. Will you let me know what habits you're working on for 2024?
If you're ready to set yourself and your dog up for success here are your booking links:
Discovery calls (if you've never had a session and want to learn more on a short phone call)
Initial consults (if you're ready to get started)
Follow Up sessions (if you've already worked with me and are ready to continue)
I am looking forward to seeing you soon!