From The Straits Times    |

PHOTOGRAPH: lesnnik, 123rf.com

“I am going to redecorate the living room.” We have all made daring proclamations such as these at various points in our lives. Often, despite our initial enthusiasm, we fail to follow through on such personal projects because of the long-term commitment they demand from us.

Meet your goals with this strategy that will help you stay committed to your new pet project.
 

1.    Find a good reason for doing it
Why did you decide to repaint the kitchen or sign up for that gym membership? Identify a meaningful and convincing reason for pursuing your project. When the going gets tough, remind yourself of why you are doing it. A good enough reason will convict you to keep pushing yourself further.
 

 

2.    Involve other people
Tell someone about your project. When you talk about your intentions out loud, they no longer exist just within your imagination. Others can hold you accountable for actualising your goals. 

Better yet, embark on your project with somebody else. For example, if you have decided that you want to lose a few extra kilograms, find a partner who has the same goal. When you have someone relying on you to get the job done, you will be more motivated to keep going until you have achieved your objective.
 

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3.    Work on one thing at a time
We know that women make the best multitaskers, but that should not mean we have to tackle 10 new projects at a go. Adopt one new commitment at a time. No matter how exciting the other projects sound, you should focus your energy on your current project until you have if you have the scope for other things.
 

 

4.    Create a routine
Doing 20 squats every day may sound dreadful. Stop yourself short of skipping a day by turning a new project into a daily ritual.

 

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Tie new activities to your existing habits. Instruct yourself to do your squats every morning before you brush your teeth. Once you have come up with a routine for yourself, it will be much easier to perform your new activity consistently.
 

 

5.    Be realistic
Avoid plans of grandiose and stick to a project that you have the time and resources to accomplish. Broad and ambitious goals may not see fruition if you don’t have a concrete strategy for success. Plot out a series of short-term objectives that can help you to keep track of your progress. 

If you find yourself lapsing on some of these objectives, go back to the drawing board. Figure out what is stopping you from moving on and readjust your expectations if necessary. Big projects take a long time, what is important is to maintain a steady pace to last you the whole way.