Add to favoritesHappy New Year! The new year brings hope and possibility and a new opportunity to be the best you can. New Year’s resolutions, anyone? But let’s be honest here: how long does it take for the enthusiasm of your new plans and intentions to slip to the side? How many of us will still be hitting the gym by March? Staying away from Snapchat? Reading more books? Or whatever it is you vowed to do as the new year came in.
Giving up on your New Year’s resolutions makes you feel bad, and you don’t get to benefit from the improvements you planned to make, either. But why does it have to be so hard? Guess what: it doesn’t! You can make New Year’s resolutions and stick to them if you know how, and here’s a guide that can help you:
Be specific:
Don’t just make a resolution like “lose weight,” because that’s vague and open-ended. If you want to lose 20 pounds, be specific about that, and then tailor your plans to meet that particular goal.
Be realistic:
Make sure it’s something you can actually do. Don’t vow to run 10 miles every morning at 5:30 AM if that’s not possible for you to do. If you want to exercise more, figure out what is realistic for you to work into your life, and you’ll be more likely to stick to it.
Set short term goals:
Break up a large plan into manageable units, and it becomes easier to do.
Make sure it’s something you want:
Don’t set goals or make resolutions based on what you think you’re supposed to be doing. It has to come from you so you’ll be motivated to start and keep going. If you hate kale, don’t vow to eat more kale, just because you feel like you should.
Be flexible:
Flexibility is important because life is unpredictable and circumstances can change. In order to be successful, you need to be able to make adjustments.
Measure your progress:
Keep tabs on your progress on a regular basis. This gives you an idea of what you still need to work on, as well as a feeling of success as you meet small goals.
Reward progress:
Hard work and success deserve celebration and rewards! Give yourself a small reward every week, or when you meet goals along the way. Not only will this give you something to look forward to, but it will also keep you motivated to keep going.
Learn from failure:
Yes, you will probably mess up at some point, but that’s not failure. It’s just part of the process and the point is to learn from it and move on!
Tell people:
Saying something out loud makes you more likely to do it- now others know you’re committed. And having people know about your plans gives you support, too, which is always helpful.
Be in control:
It can be helpful to check in with someone on your support team, but it’s important that you stay in control. Don’t let others manipulate you.
Change one thing at a time:
You might have great plans for the new and improved you of 2018, but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Change can be hard, so don’t overwhelm yourself.
Get educated:
Learn all about what you need to do in order to accomplish your goals.
Schedule time to work on your new goals:
If your plan is to work out, cook meals, learn something new, or anything else, you need to set aside time for it on a regular basis to ensure that it will happen. Put it in your calendar like an appointment and treat it that way.
Be patient:
Change takes time, and it may take a while to see results.
Pick a date to start:
And it doesn’t have to be January 1. Choose a time when you’ll be able to focus and devote yourself to the changes you want to make.
Keep reminding yourself why you want to do it:
Even when you really want something, you might still have to push yourself a little to make it happen. Reminding yourself why you want to do something is a great way to stay motivated.
What better time than the new year to plan for growth and improvement? I hope these tips help you reach your goals and achieve success! Happy New Year!
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