New Year, New Resolutions
January 11, 2019
It’s that time of year again - many of us recently made New Year’s resolutions and some of us are already struggling to stick to them. You may be asking yourself why you bothered making a resolution at all but fear not! We have some tips that will help you make reasonable resolutions and actually follow through on them.
To set - and achieve - attainable goals, try the following:
1. Narrow down your list of resolutions
Most of us have entire lists of goals we’d like to achieve or resolutions we’d like to make. That said, committing to change is hard work and it’s easy to overwhelm ourselves by setting unrealistic - or simply too many - goals. Choose three or four resolutions that are particularly important to you and stick with them.
2. Implement small changes
Big changes don’t happen overnight. They’re the product of hard work and dedication. So whatever your resolution may be, make sure you start small. Change your habits slowly and try to focus on one at a time. Dedicate an entire month to making one small change and then do the same with another habit the next month. Consistency is key!
3. Hold yourself accountable (and enlist help!)
Accountability can make or break our ability to stick to a resolution. Let others know about your goals to stay motivated but take it one step further. Ask your friends and family to give you support and encouragement when you need it. If any of them made similar resolutions, find out if they’d like to work toward achieving their goals with you.
4. Try not to fear setbacks
Seldom, if ever, does anyone achieve a major goal without running into some obstacles along the way. Setbacks happen and that’s okay. If you start to slack or miss a milestone, don’t give up. Instead, identify the reason(s) you may be feeling unmotivated, make a plan to deal with it, and get back in the ring - there’s no better time than now.
5. Track your milestones
Tracking your milestones will allow you to visualize your overall progress. Whether you want to track your milestones using a calendar or write down a daily progress report, give yourself a way to actually see your personal goals play out. This will be particularly helpful if you’re working toward more than one resolution at a time.
Remember, sticking to your resolutions doesn’t have to be stressful. Making small, healthy changes will allow you to meet your goals and have some fun along the way. Good luck!
