This Is Not A Resolution: What Do You Want Out Of 2016?

_MG_8125The New Year is here, and everyone wants to jump on the resolution bandwagon. You know the usual suspects; eat healthy, workout, wake up earlier, quit smoking, save money, and the list goes on. The problem with resolutions is that there is this extreme pressure to be perfect and when perfection isn’t reached the resolution goes right into the trash.

So I say ditch the resolution concept and instead visualize what 2016 looks like for you. Once you know what you want your year to look like, you can start taking actions to get to that goal.

If resolutions work for you then who am I to stop you, but if you want to try something new to get you motivated for the New Year, here is what I do …

Create A Vision Board

 

I love vision boards! I have been creating them since 2004. What are they? In a nutshell, a massive collage of your dream life. Grab a stack of magazines, some foam core board, scissors, and rubber cement. You can cut out words, phrases, and photos that visually tell the story of your ideal life. It could be a picture of your dream house, a television representing you being a guest on your favorite TV show, a happy couple that represents your future love life, a model that embodies the new style you’d like to have … Are you getting the idea?

These things work! Make your board, look at it daily, and watch your dreams materialize into reality.

Flash Cards

 

There is actual proof that shows writing down what you want helps it become a reality. A regular practice that I have is writing my goals down on flashcards (one goal per card) and looking at those cards each night before bed. The goals can be big and small. I’ve had cards as silly as ‘have a closet full of clothes that are “me” and that I love’, and cards that say ‘become the biggest personal stylist in the world’.

Again, this works! Nothing feels better than tearing up a card and throwing it in the trash because you met that goal.

Mark Your Calendar

 

I am big on setting deadlines and using my iCal to keep myself on track. For the longest time, I only set deadlines for work related things. Then I thought to myself, what if I did that for life things too? Last year when I decided on a financial goal for my company School of Style, I put it on the calendar and completely forgot about it. Guess what? When that date rolled around, guess who made that goal? This girl! So marking my “future life” calendar is my new jam.

Taking Small Steps

 

I hate failing. I mean, who in their right mind likes it?! So I don’t like to set myself up for failure. Let me be clear, sometimes failure is inevitable, and you always learn from epic fails. However, one of the ways I avoid failure involves taking small steps towards achieving a significant goal. A great example of this is something I learned from Dave Ramsey, who is specializing in teaching people how to get out of debt. Instead of getting overwhelmed by a giant mountain of debt, you pay off your cards one-by-one (smaller balance first). Small victories keep your motivated and before you know it you’ve reached your goal.

I know that was a bit off of the fashion track, but I do hope this post was helpful! Have a Happy New Year and let’s make 2016 kick way more ass than 2015.

5 thoughts on “This Is Not A Resolution: What Do You Want Out Of 2016?”

  1. Great article! I plan on using all these tips! Your suggestions and examples of application are more poignant to me than the loads of resolution articles floating around Internet this time of year. By the way I’m a Career Development Professional that loves fashion and practice the mastery of looking cool at work. Let me know if you ever want a HR or Career perspective or would like to partner on something. I think it could be really fun and I don’t think there’s a lot good content available in that area.

  2. I completely agree with you on ditching the resolution concept and I LOVE your flash cards idea! Thank you Lauren! 🙂

  3. Your style of working is so inspiring. I love how productive, organized, and effective you are. I have learned alot from watching your videos and reading your blog. Not only about fashion but also being productive. You should write more about how you keep your life being organized and stay motivated. Thank you Lauren!

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