My New Year’s Commitment

It happens every year. Most people do it. You’re most probably part of this frenzy. Every year, you feel like things can change, today. It seems like a magical moment where you can start over, or start something new. It’s a special feeling, some sort of refreshing kickoff. You honestly believe you can start doing something different. Maybe you want to lose weight, go to the gym, stop smoking or spend more time with your family.On many occasions, you tried to convince yourself, everybody is great at doing that. Next Monday, next month, tomorrow, when summer comes; we all have the best excuses to start some day; but now is the right moment, you can feel it. And every year, every single year, you know that the perfect time to start something is on New Year's day. However, you know you’ve tried so many times to take a resolution without it lasting, but you still need that New Year’s resolution.

I know I do.

I do it every year.

So I spent a lot of time thinking about the goals that I’ve tried to accomplish that didn't pan out versus the goals that I was able to achieve. And I realized something special. The times I achieved my goals, I shared them with the people I care about beforehand. When you believe you can attain a goal, you are not afraid to share it with everyone. To me, that is the first step to commitment. If you don’t commit, nothing will happen. So on the same train of thoughts, what you need this year is NOT a resolution. What you need is to have a New Year’s commitment. How should you start committing? Share your sincere intentions with your friends and family.

Not convinced? Keep reading.

Sharing is Caring

The first time I started going to the gym, I was going alone without telling my friends. Why? Well, to be honest, it’s because I knew I could stop anytime without anyone noticing. I probably was afraid of being judged and the public failure that comes with it. So I didn’t take the chance, I didn't tell anyone about my plans to go to the gym three times a week. We are all afraid of failure, but failures don’t really exist. When you don’t accomplish something the way you intended to, you should see it as a lesson, rather you should take advantage of this situation to learn more about yourself. Keep this in mind, it is not about winning or losing, it’s about making progress.

So, when getting in shape became a serious matter, and I became truly committed, I started going to the gym with someone who was more advanced than me, so naturally I started sharing my commitment to my friends and family.

You should not be afraid to share your New Year’s commitment with others and here are four reasons why.

Positive benefits

Whether we like it or not, we all need that social interaction. We like to share our thoughts, our feelings, and we seek recognition. Sharing your commitment with you friends and family will fulfill that natural need for social interaction. Also, your personal goal should be part of a bigger plan. When people acknowledge what you want to achieve, you will start to inspire them. Some will even want to join you. Therefore, you will not only fulfill yourself, but you will also help others in doing so.

Accountability

Here comes the tough part. When you share your intentions to achieve something, you will feel some sort of pressure. Why? Because you will, to some extent, be held accountable to the people who care for you. For example, if you want to stop smoking, and you commit publicly, people who care for you are going to start asking for your progress. You will surely not be bale to smoke in front of them without acknowledging to you failed your goal. Some friends will even want to know how things are going. Therefore, even if you don't like the pressure, accountability can lead you to something much more important: support.

Support

Sharing your goal with your friends and family is a great way to seek support, especially if you share your intention on social media. Inevitably, positive people will start encouraging you, and supporting you. For example, if you want to lose weight, you most probably have people in your networks that already went through that. They are the best people to guide you because they understand you, but they are also hard to find. So take a step, share your goal on your social networks, you most certainly will find the support you need in no time.

Partnership

Now, once you’ll share your goal on your social networks, you might even find someone to partner up with. Imagine, having a partner in your quest to achieve something. Attempting a goal with a person as committed and dedicated as you are, is probably one of the best things to keep you motivated. You’ll be able to get through tough times together and share tips.

Yes, it might seem a bit scary at the beginning. But, in the long run, sharing your goal on your social networks will bring you more benefits than you can imagine. And if you are looking for a nice way to share it we have built a free tool to help you share your goals in three easy steps.  So, try it out and let us know what you think!