This year I think I can do it.

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I think I have a good chance of actually accomplishing my New Years resolution this year. Every year, I set a goal for myself and every year (like many other people) I fail. Then, I feel miserable and worthless and get depressed. Last week, I was agonizing about what I was going to try to do this New Year. There are so many things I would like to do to make improvements - lose weight, exercise, etc. But, I have failed at all of those before. So, I tried to figure out WHY I kept failing and I came to understand it all came down to procrastination. I could always find a way to put things off for another day, week, month, etc. Now, the question was how to tackle procrastination. They tell you to make little changes and the big change will follow and set manageable goals. So, I got a spiral notebook and wrote down small tasks that I could do in approx 15 min or less on the front page. I cannot clean out all of cupboards; but, I can clean out one shelf in a cupboard today and do another one tomorrow, etc. I cannot organize my entire closet; but, I can organize my shoes one day, my belts, the next day, etc. I cannot get all of my paperwork organized; but, today I did remove all my old health and dental cards from my purse, shred them, register the new cards online and put the new cards in my purse (total time was 8 min). Then, I wrote down today's date in my notebook and what I did. This actually left me with a sense of accomplishment and feeling good about myself. Tomorrow, I will do something else that I would normally procrastinate about and write it down in my notebook (which I have sitting next to my computer). By keeping a written record, it will serve as a reminder that I need to do something so I can make an entry. Each time I make my entry it will reinforce my sense of accomplishment. Over the course of a month or even a year, I will get things accomplished that I have constantly been procrastinating about. And, going back and reviewing my notebook periodically will reinforce this sense of accomplishment even more. Hopefully, by next year, I will have enough positive reinforcement and sense of accomplishment that I will have gotten rid of my problem of procrastinating and then who knows what I will be able to accomplish.