How to Stick to your New Year’s Resolutions

Now that the holiday season has come to an end and the New Year is slowly approaching, it’s time to create your annual New Year’s resolutions. It is easy to create these resolutions, but not as easy to actually stick to them. Below is a simple, five-step guide you can use to try to stick to the new goals you plan to create!

SET REALISTIC BUT SPECIFIC GOALS

Set specific goals about what you want to achieve. Instead of writing down or thinking of broad goals such as “travel more” or “lose weight,” narrow them down. Rather than saying you want to simply travel more, consider where you want to travel to, who you want to travel with, or how long you want to travel around for. Rather than saying you want to lose weight, specify how much weight you want to lose, how many pounds you plan to lose each month, or how you plan to actually lose this weight. Specify what sort of time frames you want to meet these goals by. Make sure you set realistic goals as these are what will keep you motivated. Setting unattainable goals will lead to frustration and lack of motivation!

BREAK DOWN GOALS INTO SMALLER ONES

Divide your big goals into smaller, more manageable goals. This is the easiest and most realistic way to accomplish your resolutions and actually stay on track during the entirety of the year. This also makes the process less overwhelming and allows you to rejoice in the small victories you make. If your goal is to lose weight, then start off by saying you plan to lose five pounds every month, and track this as you go! 

DEVELOP AN OUTLINE

Create a timeline with milestones listed on it to track your progress. Outline a very clear plan of action and then identify the steps that you need to take in order to achieve these goals. Be sure to also anticipate any potential obstacles and challenges and plan ahead on how you might overcome them. Going back to losing weight as an example, a challenge you might face is that you might start to feel lazy or tired. Set a plan in place to overcome this feeling of laziness and tiredness, like motivating yourself with new workout clothing or some other prize. Having a strategy in place for challenges can prevent you from giving up when you face any sort of difficulty in your goal achieving process. 

BUILD A SUPPORT SYSTEM

Another very important component of being able to completely accomplish your new year’s resolutions is to build a support system around you. Share your resolutions with your family and friends or any form of support group around you. Having people around you who are aware of your goals can help to motivate you while also keeping you accountable and on track to achieve them. Consider even finding a friend with similar resolutions so you both can complete them together. For example, find a friend to work out with so you both can keep each other accountable for going to the gym even if on one day, one of you feels like giving up!

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Lastly, it’s very important to track your progress and your accomplishments to see how far you’ve come, and reward yourself accordingly. Keep a journal or tracking app of your progress to monitor your success. Regularly try to assess how far you’ve come and adjust your plan as needed based on your progress and goals. Celebrate every accomplishment, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can help you to stay on track, stay motivated, and focused on your goals. Motivating yourself with simple shopping sprees, a sweet treat, or even a trip or excursion for accomplishing a larger goal is a great way to continue to stay motivated throughout the year!