How to stick to your New Year’s Resolution

The start of a new year is a great opportunity for positive change.

For most people, the new year feels like a fresh start and people feel encouraged to establish new routines or leave bad habits behind. Resolutions are easier said than done and many people fall off the wagon come February. Read the article below to learn a few tips on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions alive and well all year round. 

1. Be specific:

Choosing a vague goal can become extremely overwhelming and result in you not knowing where to begin. Creating a specific goal can make your goal easier to plan for because you’re creating something that is actually attainable.

Example: Let’s say your goal last year was to “eat healthy.” What does that really mean? Was the goal ever really attainable? This year, be more specific. Aim to eat at least one vegetable or fruit every single meal. That concrete goal that is attainable.

2. Don’t spread yourself too thin:

While the new year is often exciting and makes you think of all the possibilities to come, choosing too many goals makes it difficult to stick to all of them, and you may end up giving up on every single one. Instead, focus on one goal at a time, and once a goal is achieved, you can focus on the next one. Plus, the motivation of achieving a goal will instill you wil confidence, giving you fuel to focus on the next goal.

Example: Let’s say your goals last year were to excercise more, watch less TV, spend more time with family, eat healthy, read more books, and make more money. Though these are amazing goals, these are huge lifestyle shifts that take time. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to focus on all of those goals each year? This year, don’t spread yourself too thin. Focus on one goal first. If your goal is to watch less TV, try to accomplish that a few weeks in a row before trying to incorporate the next goal. This way, you have concrete goals that are attainable (one at a time).

3. Start small:

How many times have you seen people over-restrict or become way too intense in the beginning with their goals? This ultimately leads to burnout and makes your goal too far out of reach, and who wants that? Most people set goals that are never-ending (i.e. if you read 2 books every month, that doesn’t mean next year you’ll want to stop reading since you achieved your goal), however, it’s important to realize that building habits take time and effort. Think about the “Tortoise and the Hare” — slow and steady wins the race!

Example: Let’s say your goal last year was to “exercise every day.” Was the goal ever really attainable? This year, be realistic and start small. At first, start with working out 2x/week for 3 weeks. Once that becomes consistent and an easy goal to achieve, work your way up to 3x/week. This way, instead of not going to the gym for 3 years and trying to go every single day without a break just because it’s a new year, you start with small attainable goals.

4. Challenge your friends and family

Having a buddy who you share common goals with can make it easier to stick to that goal. It also makes it fun!

Example: Let’s say your goal last week was to spend more time outdoors. This year, find a friend, sibling, or parent that may have the same goal as you. Maybe you use this time to go on walks together, go on walks apart but talk on the phone during, tan on the beach together, or go hiking in the mountains. This way, you have someone to hold you accountable for your goal and you have fun doing it.

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