5 Tips to Sticking to Your New Year's Resolutions
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Millions upon millions of Americans set New Year Resolutions goals every year, but less than 8% of people actually stick with their goals. If you’re one of those people who have a habit of setting resolutions at the beginning of the year and then abandoning them a few days later, now is your chance to try something different. Imagine how much better your life would be if you followed through on your resolutions until you actually achieved your goals!
It's very possible to overcome your habit of giving up on New Year's resolutions with a few basic tips. Above all else, avoid regarding your resolutions as something to aspire to and then forgetting them when they no longer seem pertinent or interesting. New Year's resolutions can be extremely enriching and self-improving if you find a way to maintain them throughout the year.
So let me give you some tips for sticking to your resolutions:
Tip #1: Make a commitment.
You must be willing to make a strong commitment to change in order for your resolutions to be successful. Believe that you can, and will, accomplish what you set out to do. Have you ever heard the quote, “Whether you think you can or can’t , you’re right”. If you constantly tell yourself that you can’t do something, you will never be able to do it.
Choose New Year's resolutions that you genuinely want to achieve. Make positive resolutions and only focus on the positive aspects of achieving them.
Tell everyone you know about your resolutions. When everyone knows what you're setting out to achieve, they can help hold you accountable.
Plan ahead rather than choosing your resolutions at the very last moment. The longer you spend planning and preparing for your resolution goals, the better the results will be.
Tip #2: Have realistic expectations.
Continued motivation is the key to achieving your goals. If you set the bar too high, then you also set yourself up for failure, which can be extremely de-motivating for you.
Aim realistically, rather than too high. Give yourself a challenge, but not so much of a challenge that you end up setting yourself up for inevitable failure.
If you plan on setting similar resolutions as last year, consider first and foremost why last year's resolutions failed. If your resolutions didn't work last time, then determine why in order to avoid a repeat performance.
Tip #3: Write down your goals.
When you put your resolutions into writing, you make them real. You put your commitment down on paper. Put your goals where you can see them, in written form, so you won't forget what you're setting out to achieve this year.
I always write my goals on my bathroom mirror as well as my dry erase board.
You should also write them down in the notepad on your phone, take a screenshot, and set it as your phone’s background.
The point is, everywhere you go, you should be reminded of what you’re working towards. Remember, what you focus on grows.
Tip #4: Plan out your goals.
Articulating what you intend to achieve this year is a big part of setting resolutions, but planning how to achieve them is a completely different story. Write down a plan for each resolution that you want to achieve rather than simply hoping for the best.
Tip #5: Give your goals flexibility.
Not everything is going to work out exactly the way you planned, so be flexible in the goals that you set. Avoid allowing rigid resolutions to throw you off track if something doesn't go quite how you planned it. Try to predict what challenges you may face, and create a contingency plan for those challenges just in case.
Final Thoughts
You can keep your New Year's resolutions if you do a little bit of planning and preparing ahead of time. Just like any goal setting process, the key is to be realistic about your goals and the challenges you may face in trying to achieve them. The more realistic and flexible you are, the more likely you'll be to achieve your goals.
