I have a confession to make: I have already failed at my New Year´s resolutions. I know, I suck. I read all the “How to keep your resolution” posts. Most of them were really good and offered solid advice. But I have another confession to make: I actually even failed at setting my resolutions. I sat with my blank sheet of paper and tried to think up of 13 resolutions for 2013, as was fitting. I eventually came up with 7, and most of them weren´t even SMART goals. It was really more of a to-do list. And I suck at to-do lists.
There are many methods to getting things done, including GTD 
, and most work for me when I am motivated to do things. I have found that I have two main problems with my lists:
1.- There are too many things on it, so I can´t get it all done.
2.- Something comes up and I run out of time.
3.- I can´t be bothered don´t find the motivation to do everything I set myself up to do.
Image courtesy of pakorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It all comes down to fluctuating energy and motivation levels. When I set myself up to do too much, I feel like I could walk a 1000 miles. I usually do quite a lot of things on list when I´m on top of the owrld. But, other days, I feel completely sapped and just want to lounge and watch tv or read.
I guess there is really only 1 resolution I need to work on and keep:
Do better to-do lists and keep them.
I think that, in order to do this, I need to:
- Prioritize.
- Chart my energy levels throughout the day and the month.
- Get more exercise and sleep.
- Make more realistic to-do lists.
- Give myself a break.
How about you, have you already not kept a resolution?
After a lot of peer pressure from the blogosphere, I came up with 3 New Years Resolutions, which are also really just a short to-do list.
1. Get a flu shot.
2. Get my dress pants hemmed.
3. Get a haircut.
So far I’m 1/3. (Flu shot).
Thank you for stopping by.
I hadn´t thought of it like that, but I think you are right about the blogosphere peer pressure. After being a student for 20 years, I usually do my resolutions in September, when the new school year starts. Maybe I should stick to that and keep doing lists until them.