New resolutions for the new year

Learning to play the piano, eating healthier or saving up for a trip are some of the goals we might set for ourselves. However, the reality is that many of these resolutions never materialize. To keep from losing motivation throughout the year and to keep your mind focused on your goals, today we bring you some tips to help make your New Year’s resolutions become a reality.

Write down the resolutions and don’t make a long list

It’s important to keep in mind that your list cannot be too long; endless lists make you feel overwhelmed and you give up on them in the end. You should write a list of your four or five goals for the next 12 months, for example: exercise more, eat healthier, improve your professional skills with a course or learn a new instrument.

Writing it down is the first step to achieving your goals.

Set realistic objectives

To achieve your goals, you have to set realistic objectives: resolutions must be achievable. You could use the “SMART” model to set them: S for “specific”, the more detailed the better; M for “measurable”, for it to be a real goal there must be a way to measure that it has actually been achieved; A for “achievable”, so that even if your goal is challenging, it’s always achievable; R for “realistic”, you shouldn’t aim for things that you cannot actually accomplish, like in the example we gave before about the marathon and, lastly, T for “time”, as scheduling it and marking it down in time will enable you to see if what you are doing is the most suitable way to reach the goal in the time frame you’ve set.

Set dates

As we mentioned in the last rule of SMART goals, dates are key to setting New Year’s resolutions. Once you’ve set your goals in the form of targets, it’s important to set the dates. That will help you define the different stages on the path to reaching your goal.

For example, if you intend to run a marathon, you should define a series of steps to reach that goal. For example, start by looking for the upcoming marathons in your city or in a nearby city; seek out a professional trainer, or simply start running with a well-defined plan during the months of preparation.

Have a plan to make it happen

Without proper planning, you’re unlikely to live up to your commitment, as you won’t now where you’re going and how you can get there. For example, if your goal is to take a trip, the plan has to fit with your income and expenses. In this case, you have to plan an amount of savings you will set aside each month to take the trip. You can also set up an action plan, with concrete tasks, such as: search for better flights, look for better accommodation, organize your itinerary and so on.

Record progress and share it

Having someone to share your goals with can motivate you to achieve them. Don’t keep it a secret because you may find it difficult to achieve. Propose plans to your friends that will help you achieve your goals, such as going for a run or climbing a mountain, if your goal is to exercise more. This is one of the most effective ways to achieve New Year’s resolutions, because team motivation can be a great help to keep you focused, and you can help one another achieve your goals.

Stay constant to achieve your goals

It’s not enough to wish for it. Discipline and constancy play a key role in reaching any objective, rather than wanting to do it all at once. That will lead you in the wrong direction and you’ll end up abandoning your plan.

As we’ve seen, setting SMART objectives, defining a date for each one and outlining an action plan will allow you to start 2023 with the necessary motivation and keep it up throughout the year so you can make your New Year’s resolutions come true.

MAPFRE’s Strategic Plan 2022-2024 deepens the transformation process we began initiated several years ago aimed at continuing to adjust to our complex macroeconomic environment, enhance the value proposition to our customers and adapt to their new preferences, thus becoming more accessible, different and scalable. Our plan also has a new philosophical framework. It retains the values that make us who we are and our vision of being Your trusted insurance company, while defining our new purpose, which explains why we are here: We are by your side every step of the way, accompanying you to move forward with peace of mind, contributing to the development of a more sustainable and supportive society. A purpose that can be summed up in a slogan: At MAPFRE, we care about what matters to you.

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