![]()
← Go Back
How to Stick to Your Resolutions This New Year
January 04, 2017 •
Apartment Living
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously difficult to keep up. Chances are you know somebody–or are somebody–who’s failed in keeping up with their new goals. There are plenty of reasons this happens, but if you have a good plan for keeping up your resolutions, you’ll be more likely to stick with them. Try incorporating these guidelines in your new year journey, and you’ll surely see better luck in sticking to your resolution this year.
Choose Resolutions That Inspire You
How often do we choose goals that we feel we should do rather than ones we actually want to do? Nobody ever said that you can’t have fun while trying to achieve your goals, and you’re simply going to have better chances when you actually care about your resolutions. If you’re set on taking up a resolution that doesn’t seem like much fun, look for something about that goal that interests you. For example, while losing weight isn’t typically defined as “fun,” joining a fitness group can make it a goal that you look forward to.
Make Sure Your Resolutions Are Achievable
Perhaps the biggest problem people have when setting their resolutions is that their goals are too vague. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to eat more healthily or be a better spender, but when that’s the entirety of your goal, how do you know when you’ve succeeded? How do you know you’re making good progress or need to step it up? A vague goal can be a good place to start, but for a real chance of success, you need to get more detailed. Try making your resolution a SMART goal – one that’s specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. Also, don’t go overboard with a million goals. Rather, narrow your focus down to the few most important.
Get Help
Most things are more difficult when you attempt them on your own, and usually, this includes New Year’s resolutions. Having a little support goes a long way, no matter what your goal may be. This can range from reaching out to loved ones for advice in how to best tackle your goal to actually recruiting others to help you work toward your resolution. Plus, having a few others work along beside you can provide some extra accountability and perhaps even a little competition. What’s not to like about sharing in your successes with others?
Don’t Give Up!
When tackling a resolution, making a continued effort is just as important as achieving the goal itself. Many people fail in their goals after the honeymoon period of the first few weeks wears off. Instead of thinking only about the end point, focus on holding yourself accountable every day. Reframe your mindset so that you recognize the achievements of putting in small amounts of work toward your goal. Further, don’t be too discouraged by slow results or slip-ups. In the end, staying optimistic will improve your chances of completing your goal.
Working toward a goal is always a learning experience, and what works for you might not be completely in line with what works for others. Hopefully, after a little time and some tweaking, you’ll find that working toward your habit is as easy as any other daily habit. Then, you can set your sights on next year’s achievements!
← Go Back
