How are your New Year's Resolutions and goals for 2022 coming along?
Right now, some of you might be like, "Urgh. Don't remind me. I gave up months ago!" Others may say, "Well, it's not exactly going to plan, but I'm making some progress." And maybe a few of you are like, "I'm smashing through them!"
Whichever boat you're in, now is the time to review your New Year's resolutions and refine a Mid-Year resolution. Doing this can help you get back on track, achieve your targets, or even smash through more goals.
In this article, we're first going to dive into what a Mid-Year resolution is and why it's essential. Then, we will share a powerful and fun "pirate strategy" to implement your Mid-Year resolution like a pirate so you can reach the treasures you seek!
Ready, set… let's go matey!
What is a Mid-Year Resolution?
What is a Mid-Year resolution? Well, it's like renewing wedding vows, except it's renewing an oath with yourself. Hear us out.We all know how exciting weddings are. The wedding ceremony is beautiful. Everyone is dressed their best. And there's the hope of a bright, new future ahead. During this moment, when the couple is on cloud nine, it's exciting to make vows to each other.
New Year's resolution is similar in that it feels like this big, collective event that everyone celebrates. You're excited to look forward to a bright, new future on the clean slate of the upcoming new year. During this high, it feels exciting to make a vow with yourself to chase your dreams!
But then, just like how the honeymoon period fades away after the wedding, the New Year fireworks and excitement eventually die down. And your life goes back to the usual daily grind. This is how your resolutions can start slipping away…
How do you get back that spark?
For a couple, renewing their wedding vows can be a significant pivot to reignite their love and stay committed to each other through thick and thin. Similarly, a Mid-Year resolution can help you get excited about your goals again and remain committed to your dreams.
Why is a Mid-Year Resolution Important?
Let’s face it. 12 months is a long time. If you don’t review or renew your goals regularly throughout the year, you’re more likely to forget them or give up on them.Here’s an interesting finding. According to Discover Happy Habits, only 75% of people successfully keep their New Year's resolution one week after New Year. Then, by the end of the second week of January, this number drops to 71%.
This is why it's so important to "renew your oath" and make a Mid-Year resolution at the 6-month mark of the year.
Suppose you've gone off track with your goals. In that case, a Mid-Year resolution can relight your fire so you can make real progress (and avoid making the same resolutions repeatedly every New Year!)
If you’re amongst those who are still successful at keeping your resolutions by this time of the year, then a Mid-Year resolution can help you reevaluate your situation to smash through even more goals.
Now that we’ve covered what a Mid-Year resolution is and why it’s important, let’s dive into a unique mindset and methodology to achieve your goals—the Pirate’s Guide to stick to your resolutions and achieve them like a pirate!
Step 1: Chase Goals Like a Pirate Chases Treasure
First, review your New Year’s resolution goals and reevaluate how you feel about them. Are you still as excited to achieve this dream as when you made the resolution six months ago? Or did it just seem exciting when the fireworks were still in the sky?You see, having a strong desire for your goal is crucial. You want to be like a pirate with an insatiable hunger for treasure. If you're not hungry for your dream, it's easy to give up.
To help you evaluate your current resolution or goals, try asking yourself these questions:
- What would my life look like if I didn't achieve this goal? How will I feel?
- How will it impact my life if I achieve this goal? How will I feel?
Next, evaluate the difference between your two answers. Is there a big gap between how you would feel before and after achieving your goal?
If the difference is minimal or almost negligible, your goal will likely not excite you much. If this is the case, you can do one of two things:
- You can create a brand new goal that you’re truly excited about, OR
- You dive deeper into understanding the WHY behind your resolution or goal.
Which one of these should you do? The next step will help guide you.
Step 2: Envision Your Life with the Treasure Like a Pirate
Every pirate has dreams of what they’ll do with the treasure. It is not the treasure itself that they seek. Rather, pirates are hungry for what they can do with their life when they have the treasure!Similarly, every goal is fuelled by a WHY. What can you do with your life when you achieve that goal? How does it change you or impact your life?
If you already have clarity of your vision, then congratulations—you have a strong desire for your goal because you know your WHY.
However, if you’re struggling to stay motivated with your goals, then you probably don’t have clarity on what your life will look like when you achieve this goal.
So set aside some time to dive into the WHY behind your goal. Take a pen and paper or use the “Values & Goals” section of Visionbook to investigate WHY you want to achieve this resolution or goal. Here are some tips for doing this effectively.
1. Paint a detailed picture
Get into as much detail as you can. Instead of just saying to yourself, “I want to lose weight so I can be healthy”, paint a more detailed picture. What does being more healthy really look like in detail? It could include:- Playing with your kids or grandkids without needing to take a break every 5-10 minutes.
- Striking off your bucket list — from running a marathon to having the energy to travel to the destination you’ve been dreaming of for a long time.
- Walking up and down the stairs without pain or struggle.
2. Connect with others who have the same goal
Sometimes, we feel disconnected from our goals because others around us don’t share the same purpose. They don't understand your goals and may even doubt if you can achieve them, which can impact your confidence or desire.By connecting with people who have the same goal — whether online or offline — you can get inspired by their energy and vision. You can ask them to share their “whys” to create a spark in yourself. This can help you gain more profound clarity on your “why”.
Write your mission statement
Once you have identified your “why”, it’s time to solidify it by writing it down. You can use the “Mission Statement” section of Visionbook to make it easy to read your mission statement daily to stay motivated and on track.What if you go through these steps and still feel disconnected from your goal? Then it's time to ask yourself some hard questions.
- Why did you pick this goal in the first place?
- Is it really something you want to do for yourself?
- Or do you feel some external pressure to achieve it?
- Perhaps you’re trying to copy someone else’s life because you think if you could achieve what they have, then you would be happy.
- Or maybe, you’ve simply outgrown the goal and have other interests?
After reflecting, you may realize it’s time to let go of this goal. And that’s perfectly fine!
It’s okay for you to let go of a goal if you feel disconnected from it or if you’ve outgrown it. And don’t worry, you don’t have to wait for the next New Year to create a new resolution.
The beauty of a Mid-Year resolution is you can use this chance to create brand new goals that genuinely excite you—one with a clear why, clear vision, and strong desire to reach that vision.
Step 3: Get Your Map Ready
Alrighty mate, at this point, you either have a new Mid-Year resolution goal that excites you, or you've renewed your commitment to your current resolutions. If you've been on track with your New Year's resolutions, you may even choose to level up your goals and create a bigger Mid-Year resolution!The next step is to get your map ready. Now, a pirate's treasure map will always have that final destination where 'X' marks the spot. More importantly, however, a pirate's treasure map has other landmarks to help the pirate navigate and stay on track.
When it comes to goal-setting, these landmarks are your goals broken down into smaller steps. So, instead of feeling lost and overwhelmed by a big goal, you simply focus on getting to the next nearest milestone
Follow these steps to get your map ready (or further refine your current map):
- Evaluate where you are now.
- Break down your goals into six smaller goals — one for every remaining month of the year — that will help you reach your end goal by the end of the year.
- Create a powerful vision board that includes each milestone.
- Focusing on the upcoming month, map out what your daily routine would look like to reach the next milestone.
- Use Visionbook’s “Daily Routine” and “Today’s Priorities” sections to help you make progress each day.
Step 4: Be Prepared for the Storms
Shiver me timbers! A storm is a-comin’!Every pirate knows that complications will always arise, and it will not always be smooth sailing. But a pirate is always ever-ready to step up to every challenge and overcome them!
In the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean", Captain Jack Sparrow said nonchalantly, "Complications arose, ensued, were overcome." You need to adopt this same mindset to face and overcome any challenges on your journey.
Having said that, having the willpower to face challenges is only the first part of the equation. You also need the right strategies and tools. After all, you won’t see a pirate charge into battle without cannons and swords, right?
Here are some practical steps and tools that can help you overcome the challenges that come up on the journey to achieve your goals:
Maintain a daily journaling habit
There are many benefits to journaling. One of them is that it can help you understand any fears or resistance that come up on your journey. It’s usually when challenges come up that these fears will show up and take control—making you feel like you’re not good enough or making you feel like giving up.By journaling through these emotions when they come up, you can learn to understand your fears and address the root cause.
Get the right crew on board
Every pirate has a crew they can trust to help them get to their treasure. You need one too! No one ever journeys alone. So who is your crew? Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it.Perhaps, to have regular time to focus on your goals, you need help from a babysitter or family member during the afternoons or evenings. Or maybe you need help with errands or household chores. In whatever form you need support, don’t hesitate to reach out and get the right crew on board to help you.
Share your vision
Sometimes, you just need a cheerleader who’s got your back. This is where sharing your vision board can help. When others can see what you’re aiming for, they can help cheer for you on the days when you feel exhausted or demotivated.One of the great things about a digital vision board like Visionbook is that it allows you to share your vision board with as many or as few people as you want — you have complete control!
Charge Towards Your Resolutions
Now you have the four simple steps to charge towards your resolutions like a pirate! This fun approach can boost your motivation to stay on track with your goals.Check out our latest offer on Visionbook to have the right tools for each step of this process, from setting your values and goals to crafting your mission statement, vision boarding, and staying on track with journaling.
Create Your Own Powerful Vision Board in Minutes
Are you ready to start reaping the benefits of a vision board in your life? Then check out Visionbook, an all-in-one personal development app that combines a digital vision board with journaling, daily routine tracker, and more.You can get started risk-free with a free 14-day trial of Visionbook. Sign up today to keep your visions, plans and life strategies in one place—and watch your life transform with the power of vision boards!
