Keep Focus with New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on by Ipuna Black

Have you ever taken a trip with no plan? Or started a project without envisioning your end result?

You end up with results that look something like this.

no focus
Your trip is everywhere, and you get little done.

Or like this.

half-finished project
Maybe several unfinished projects around or not knowing the next step you want to take. Media credit: Staticflickr

Making New Year’s Resolutions is one tool to help you stay on the roads that will lead you to your goals.

Here is a roadmap for a business plan, but I thought it applies to our individual goals as well.

infographic-roadmap-successful-strategy-execution-01-1
Media credit: Achieve It

Reflection on 2017

My biggest New Year’s Resolution for 2017 was to have a positive attitude no matter what situation came my way. After my son, Jy, had a near-death experience in 2015, I realized  there are many things I can’t control, but the one thing I can control is my attitude. It has made all the difference.

Big Goal for 2018

I find that if I set a ton of goals, achieving all of them is hard, and I feel like a failure. Therefore, I have changed to focusing on one big goal for the year and using the big goal to help me achieve a couple smaller goals. My big goal for 2018 is FOCUS. I have a lot of ideas and goals, but when I try to complete too many at the same time, I don’t do any of them well. I am going to focus on one goal at a time until I achieve it.

focus-goals

focus-water
Media credit: The Mission

What About You?

Have you found any “tricks” that help you keep your New Year’s resolutions? Do you believe in New Year’s resolutions?

If you decide to try my trick of focusing on one big goal to help you with a couple or a few smaller goals, let me know if it helped.

Last year I read The 1% Solution. The premise of the book is that it’s virtually impossible to be 100% better than your competition, it’s very possible to be 1% better in hundreds of things. I liked this book because when it comes to change, the hill may seem too high to climb, but if you climb it only 1% at a time, it feels doable. We only need to try and change 1% at a time.

Quick Update

I’ve been busy with YA fiction writing and teaching amazing nursing students. I plan to focus on these two things in 2018 until I get a literary agent and published. I hope to check in and blog at least once a month with my blog collaborators. I miss my interaction with many of you, but it will come back after I focus my energy on one goal at a time. ❤️

Have a wonderful day! Thank you for reading!

Collaboration with a Purpose

This blog post is part of a blog collaboration. The theme is New Year’s Resolutions. Please check out these other blogs if you need some inspiration on New Year’s Resolutions!

Here are the collaborators. I quoted the lovely, Nicolle.

  • Barb Caffrey @ Barb Caffrey’s Blog (“So, if you believe in any sort of Higher Power, one of the things you need to remember is to forgive yourself once in a while.”)
  • Jane Love @ Harmonious Joy (“People who have a genuine say and a true voice of their own… not just an echo of some celebrity they think they love.”)
  • Mylene C. Orillo (“Where I’m at right now is a testament that ‘Dreams really do come true.’”)
  • Nicolle K @ Stories of a Highly Sensitive Introvert! (“Success, for me, is when I spend my days feeling happy, peaceful, fulfilled and without fear of lack.”)
  • Sadaf Siddiqi (“The best thing about memories, is one doesn’t realise they are making memories but once recorded, it just rewinds and takes one back to the beautiful series of life.”)
  • Sonyo Estavillo @ ‘Lil Pick Me Up (“I am here to champion anyone from the successful and confident folks, to those that are clinically depressed.”)

Direct links to New Year’s Resolutions Articles stolen 😉 from Jainey.

Ipuna-Black-sign-off

32 thoughts on “Keep Focus with New Year’s Resolutions”

  1. Pingback: New Year, New Me | Writing Down My New Year Resolutions

        1. Soooooo true! And a positive attitude help you achieve more. You’re the amazing one! I just read your 2017 reflection post. Not many could wake up every day and endure what you endure. Keep inspiring all of us.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  4. I’m with Alyssa on this – Your strength and determination have ALWAYS inspired us all, Belle. I also agree that focusing on one goal at a time (i.e. prioritizing) is very important. It makes everything so much easier.

    Plus you never cease to give more proof of the ad-daughter-mother relationship we have going on. 😉 😛 I mean, our posts are along similar wavelengths. And although you “stole” my links :-D, you had every right to. Ha ha.

    *whispering slightly* when’s she gonna get that I won’t mind one bit? 😀 😛 ;-P ❤
    Sending you LOTS of love, Mom!!!!!! ❤ ❤

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. Thanks for sharing and best wishes for the new year and for your NY resolution of having one big goal. I tend not to make NY resolutions, but have goals that I work towards throughout my life and that tends to work for me. I feel it’s about finding what works for you.
    Sometimes not having a plan is also the best plan – it’s good to change things up once in a while and be a little spontaneous!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. Ipuna, your post just gave a new definition to the word, focus. These are some really amazing suggestions. Keep going and I hope you have a great year!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Hello Ipuna,

    I wish you the best in this year.You know, and I’m sure you heard when you see a falling star, you should to imagine a wish, but if you want your wish to come true,you do not need to tell anyone your wish and also about falling star. But in fact, the reason is energy. Energy focused on your wish it should not be spilled around.You need a full energy potential for your wish.

    Just like focus in life .If you have a too much things to do, you will spilled a little your energy on each thing!But you need a lot of energy focused on one thing!

    Great post

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Ben,
      Thank you. You always give the best advice. I’ve never thought about the falling star or energy. I thought you were proclaiming to the universe what you feel has already happened, but that takes energy too. Best to save it for the actual goal at hand I’ve learned from you!

      Like

      Reply

  9. I love the illustrations Ipuna! Wow, you are one busy person! I really admire how you can do everything from being a woman, mother, writer, to being a teacher! It really amazes me. Keep it up but don’t forget to rest and relax sometimes. You need that. Happy New Year to you and your family. It’s good to know Jy’s doing okay now. I’m praying for his continuous recovery. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Pingback: Why I Still Write My New Year’s Resolutions – Mylene C. Orillo

  11. Good luck on your focus goal ipuna…
    Well my trick with new year resolution is “I never set them on a new year, instead my goals are set on March to April period”.. there is a difference.. you can guess it…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. Pingback: Collaboration with a Purpose: New Year’s Resolution – 2018 Goals – Stories of a Highly Sensitive Introvert

  13. Great post, Ipuna! I love how you only have one big goal to stay focused; having squirrel syndrome and being easily distracted myself, I think that’s really awesome. 😀
    Good luck with your goals this year!

    Liked by 1 person

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