Commitment

So... The first month in 2014 is almost over. How are your new year's resolutions doing? :)
The beginning of the year is the perfect time to reflect and set up a new goal. All failures that we had during last year should be forgotten, and let's start everything fresh in a new page.

That spirit usually lasts for.... hmmm I don't know, 1 week maybe? :D

I tried not to have too many impossible resolutions for the past few years, because I know that I didn't have that much commitment and consistency (based on my own experience haha). But I still had some "challenges" for myself every year. Small ones and I tried to find something that is measurable.

For example, every year I set a goal of the number of books I wanted to read during the year. Goodreads helps me a lot with this because they have specific challenge and reminder for this. At the beginning of the year, I always read like crazy, but about the middle of the year, my spirit started to sink, all books seemed boring, and sometimes I just couldn't find a relaxing time to read.

That also happens when I set a goal for doing more sports. I hit the gym three times a week, but after a few weeks, I skipped it every now and then. And after skipping gym for some time, all the strength and endurance I built previously were gone. I had to start from scratch, and it sucks.

There are two things that are important to reach your goals, resolutions, or whatever you call them: commitment and consistency.

Do it as if it's still the first week. Don't ever stop, whatever your goal is, you know you can reach it if you just keep doing it constantly. Why do you think people who have tried all kinds of diet could not reach the target weight they really wanted? Because they didn't do it consistently. They didn't make it their way of life. They tried and failed, or even worse, tried and succeeded for a little bit, and then got bored or even be satisfied just as it was.

I'm not good with commitment myself. But let's see if this year I could beat my own laziness. Let's see if I would still going to the gym next December, and if I could reach my goal to read 100 books until the end of the year. Let's prove that everyone has a sense of commitment. Even though it's been buried very very deep down inside for so many years.

Cheers!