How to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
We all do it. We make lofty promises to ourselves and those around us and we declare that this year is going to be different. There is something sweet about the hope that success that awaits you on the other side of midnight. Another thing we all do is fail at achieving most or all of those goals. There has to be a way to suck less at New Year’s resolutions, right? Well, it is probably dependent on the person, but there are some ways to make it more likely that you will succeed.
Baby Steps
So often, we create a goal that is a huge life change right off the bat. People that do this are all but guaranteed to fail. You want to lose 50lbs? Awesome! Do not get discouraged when you lose one or zero pounds for the first few weeks. Try starting by walking everyday for two weeks. Then, if you are healthy enough, jog for 30 seconds. Don’t try to live on salad. Reward yourself a little here and there. The key here is make small incremental changes that will snowball into great change.
Keep Track of Your Progress
If you want to keep yourself motivated, track your progress. Progress is a tricky word here because not all progress is good. However, if you notice that you are not progressing like you wanted to, learn from it. Success is a learned behavior! Consider keeping a journal or even a blog. A blog is a great idea because your readers will hold you accountable.
Accountability
It can be very easy to give up on yourself. A fantastic way to make that more difficult is to share your goal with others. Join a Facebook group for people that share your goal(s). You guys can share your wins and your difficulties. This “group effort” community can be so rewarding, and you can make some new friends.
Do Not Be Too Hard on Yourself
It is basically a guarantee that you will have a failure or two, but that does not mean that you failed at your New Year’s Resolution. You only fail if you quit trying. Lose the absolutist attitude and think more in terms of improvement. Maybe you had pizza this week. The old you would have had pizza every week. You are only human so give yourself a break and then get back on the horse!
Changing Is Not Easy
Deciding that you want to change for the better is a wonderful first step. Putting change in action is going to be more difficult, but you can do it. Take it slow and outline manageable steps for yourself. Involve your friends, family, or even complete strangers so that you are held accountable. Do not be too hard on yourself. A simple misstep is not the end of the world unless you let it completely derail your plans. Most of all, keep at it and make sure you become a better version of yourself this year.
