How do you gameplan for the new year? Setting resolutions can be a helpful exercise, but only if you approach the activity from the right angle. Too often, we make resolutions that rely on us to adopt a behavior or avoid another for the entire year. Anything less is considered a breach of contract and gives us license to backslide into old behaviors. Instead of making a hard and fast resolution that you have to adhere to for the entire year, think about setting smaller, incremental goals for 2019. Check in with yourself monthly and decide if you’re on track. And of course, give yourself a break when you slip up!

If You’re Setting a Behavioral/Lifestyle Goal, Try to Make the Right Choice More Times than Not

Okay, what does this mean? Well, when you decide that you want to be vegetarian, or you want to work out five times a week, or you want to write for 30 minutes every day — these are lofty, major lifestyle changes that can be difficult to incorporate right away. It takes time, and if you don’t allow yourself some leeway, you’ll get frustrated by your inability to adopt these behaviors.

Instead of setting out to be perfect, try to make the right choice in individual cases. You’ll be faced with challenges: Do I eat meat in this instance? I don’t feel like going to the gym. I have writer’s block. Overcome the hurdle in the individual moment, rather than thinking about what it means for your overall resolution. Try to make the right choice, and don’t be too hard on yourself when you don’t. If you keep working, you’ll go from making that choice 50% of the time to 70% to 90%, and eventually you’ll adopt the lifestyle change organically.

Short Term Goals Give You Time to Reflect

In addition to making big picture changes more attainable, short term goals also organically build in opportunities to reflect and evaluate. Are you happy with your progress? What’s working for you? What isn’t? Setting short term goals allows you to change course if necessary, without feeling like you’re deviating from your broader resolution.

Dunn Brothers Coffee in Coralville Is Here to Fuel Your 2019

Whatever goals and resolutions you’ve made for 2019, we want to help. Our open, collaborative workspace is the perfect place for your grand designs in the new year. We’ve got a wide variety of coffee roasts (made in-house each day of course) and a delicious food menu to fuel you as well. To learn about all of our offerings, contact Dunn Brothers Coffee in Coralville, IA at 319-665-2020.