{"id":710,"date":"2019-01-16T11:42:41","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T11:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/?p=710"},"modified":"2019-01-16T11:43:36","modified_gmt":"2019-01-16T11:43:36","slug":"confession-of-a-resolutions-quitter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/confession-of-a-resolutions-quitter\/","title":{"rendered":"Confessions of a Resolutions Quitter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve, fireworks explode in the sky as Big Ben rings in 2019 \u2013 and I watch it all from the comfort of my sofa, wrapped in a blanket, cradling a glass of prosecco, wearing my favourite furry slipper-boots (naturally!). Before contemplating when I became \u2019that person\u2019, my thoughts turned to the year ahead and the things I want to achieve.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>My mental list consisted of, but was not limited to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Lose weight!<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: line-through\">Bake more<\/span> (scratch that!) <u>Learn<\/u> to bake<\/li>\n<li>Be more confident<\/li>\n<li>Run <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through\">a marathon<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: line-through\">park run<\/span>, more!<\/li>\n<li>Learn Italian<\/li>\n<li>Quest for a better work-life balance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I\u2019m immediately reminded of lists from previous years and realise\u2026 order aside, there is no real difference. Like many people, I make resolutions each year and don\u2019t follow through. Like you (perhaps!), I make all the excuses \u2013 too busy with work\/home life\u2026 that chocolate was just sitting there and not eating it would be such a waste!<\/p>\n<p>Dilemma: if I never stick to my New Year\u2019s resolutions, why bother making them?<\/p>\n<p>Simple answer: I want to do better. I want to <strong>be<\/strong> better.<\/p>\n<p>The definition of insanity (according to our favourite internet search engine) is repeating the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Well, not this year people! I have, in an Inception-esque way, set a resolution to keep my resolutions. How hard can it be? After all, resolutions are just goals and, rather helpfully, I work with a team who are experts in just that &#8211; Goal-Setting-Gurus, if you will.<\/p>\n<p>Calling on my GSG\u2019s (catchy isn\u2019t it!), they first pointed me to Graham Allcott (Founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/thinkproductive.co.uk\/\">think productive<\/a> and author of \u2018How to be a Productivity Ninja\u2019)<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Productivity Ninja Tips: How to Not Suck at Your New Year&#039;s Resolutions\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qzpQ_hpZUm8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>[symple_callout fade_in=&#8221;false&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Book your place&#8221; button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/staffspace.canterbury.ac.uk\/ce0226li_ess\/ess\/#\/summary\/careerdev\/activity;s=ninja;d=;ed=;a=T&#8221; button_color=&#8221;black&#8221; button_size=&#8221;default&#8221; button_border_radius=&#8221;3px&#8221; button_target=&#8221;self&#8221; button_rel=&#8221;&#8221; button_icon_left=&#8221;&#8221; button_icon_right=&#8221;&#8221;] The Productivity Ninjas are coming to CCCU on 28th Jan &amp; 5th Feb 2019! [\/symple_callout]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[symple_heading style=&#8221;&#8221; title=&#8221;5-Steps to Goal-Setting Success&#8221; type=&#8221;h1&#8243; font_size=&#8221;&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; margin_top=&#8221;30&#8243; margin_bottom=&#8221;30&#8243; color=&#8221;#d81e05&#8243; icon_left=&#8221;&#8221; icon_right=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h4>My GSG\u2019s collective wizardry gave me what I am (unimaginatively) calling my \u20185-Steps to Goal-Setting Success\u2019 and, because I am ever so nice I will pass these on to you&#8230;<\/h4>\n<p>[symple_toggle title=&#8221;Step 1: Keep it short&#8221; state=&#8221;closed&#8221;]A long list feels overwhelming. Limit it to 3 things.[\/symple_toggle]<\/p>\n<p>[symple_toggle title=&#8221;Step 2: Keep it real&#8221; state=&#8221;closed&#8221;]An unrealistic goal is self-limiting, so make goals achievable![\/symple_toggle]<\/p>\n<p>[symple_toggle title=&#8221;Step 3: Keep a plan&#8221; state=&#8221;closed&#8221;]Set a timeframe of \u2018how\u2019 and \u2018when\u2019 I am going to do this \u2013 then check it to stay on target.[\/symple_toggle]<\/p>\n<p>[symple_toggle title=&#8221;Step 4: Keep it visible&#8221; state=&#8221;closed&#8221;]I don\u2019t want to \u2018forget\u2019 my goals. So my plan needs to be where I can see it regularly.[\/symple_toggle]<\/p>\n<p>[symple_toggle title=&#8221;Step 5: Keep it fun&#8221; state=&#8221;closed&#8221;]I don\u2019t want this to become a chore \u2013 keeping it fun will keep me motivated.[\/symple_toggle]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[symple_skillbar title=&#8221;Loading 2019&#8230;&#8221; percentage=&#8221;10&#8243; color=&#8221;#d81e05&#8243; show_percent=&#8221;true&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I head into 2019 armed with my resolutions and all the good intentions, but this time I have my steps, the wondrous GSGs and epic Productivity Ninjas.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cSo, what are your three goals for this year?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8211; I hear you all shout? Keeping with the Inception theme, I\u2019ll leave my cliff-hanger here\u2026so check-in next year to see if I kept my resolution of keeping my resolutions, of keeping my resolutions, of keeping my resolutions\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-785 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash.jpg\" alt=\"Image of a spinning top\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/christophe-hautier-774462-unsplash-680x453.jpg 680w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve, fireworks explode in the sky as Big Ben rings in 2019 \u2013 and I watch it all from the comfort of my sofa, wrapped in a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6577,"featured_media":845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,134],"tags":[193,189],"class_list":["post-710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-development","category-productivity","tag-goals","tag-ninja"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"authorName":"Zoe Connell","featuredImage":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/602\/2019\/01\/nordwood-themes-1066398-unsplash.jpg","postExcerpt":"It\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve, fireworks explode in the sky as Big Ben rings in 2019 \u2013 and I watch it all from the comfort of my sofa, wrapped in a [&hellip;]","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6577"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=710"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2290,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/710\/revisions\/2290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.canterbury.ac.uk\/staffdevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}