It’s that time of the year again: time to plan how you will make this next year the best year of your life with some resolutions. However, staying on track and completing those resolutions may seem daunting and near impossible. We have some tips and tricks that will help you be successful.
- Be Realistic With Your Goals
Don’t set resolutions that you know will be difficult to maintain like going to the gym every single day all year or cutting out your favorite foods. Instead, plan to go to the gym twice a week, if that seems doable, then feel free to add to the number of times you go or spice up your workout routines. Instead of cutting out your favorite foods, say cakes, try to limit the number of times you eat cake. By setting unattainable goals, you will feel more discouraged and will more likely quit. By setting realistic goals, you will feel successful and be more likely to stay on track.
- Make A Plan
After creating and deciding what your attainable goal(s) are for the year, you need to make a plan. Ideally, you will want to plan before New Year’s Eve comes. That way it is goals you have been thinking about for a longer period and will be more motivated to complete. Make a schedule for yourself for when you will focus on this task. For example, “every Tuesday and Thursday morning I will go to the gym,” or “I will only have one piece of cake every other week (or every week),” depending on your schedule. Make sure to put your goals within a timeframe, whether that is a long-term goal or short-term progress. Positive self-talk and thinking, along with negative associatiins with the undesired behavior, may help you reach your goal. “Negative associatiins” does not mean beating yourself up if you slip up on your goals. Just do the best you can and take it step by step.
- Remain Determined
Various experts have said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit and six months for it to become ingrained. Whether or not that’s true, good habits do not just happen. They take determination. So stick with it! Don’t get discouraged if you slip up, try building day by day in 24-hour increments, it will help build that habit.
- Don’t Keep It a Secret
A support system is crucial when trying to build up habits. They will help you stay on track and keep you motivated. Choose the people who you find trustworthy and supportive to be in your support circle. Fill these selected people in on your plans and inform them how they can help if you are feeling down in the dumps or unmotivated to continue your groove.
- Reward Yourself
This does not mean binge eating chocolate. When you are first starting, it can be difficult to adjust. Plan something that will keep you motivated, something that you can look forward to at the end of the week. Once you start getting in the habit, you can save up these rewards and turn them into even bigger rewards. For example, once a week you can go buy a book and spend a day reading it and then you can save up your rewards and go to a weekend getaway with your significant other or your friends. Again, rewards vary by person but pick something that you don’t normally do but would be able to look forward to doing if you were to complete your steps that week towards your overall resolution.
New Year’s Resolutions are hard, but hopefully these tips will help you achieve your long- or short-term goals for this year. Good luck and have a happy New Year!
