Making New Year’s Resolutions and How to Keep Them

It’s the start of a new year and you’ve been thinking you really want to start this year off fresh and turn a new page. You are inspired and motivated to really make some good changes in your life, but you don’t know where to start.

Yes, you’ve done this before, you made lots of new year’s resolutions, but they just never seem to stick. It’s easy to make your new year’s resolutions but keeping them on the other hand, that’s the hard part.

Millions of people every year make new year’s resolutions, but the percentage of people who keep them is not nearly as much as those that follow through and succeed in them.

Some of the most common resolutions include getting in shape, exercising more, and eating healthier. All of which are always good for your health. Other common resolutions are to get out of debt, finish that degree, quit drinking or smoking, do some de-cluttering, or just spend more quality time with your family.

You’ve got great goals to improve your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. But unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, which can cause distractions and discouragement that lead to a lack of follow-through. But even if your plans don’t stick, it doesn’t mean your resolutions aren’t worth making.

One study by YouGov¹ found people who planned new year’s resolutions were more optimistic about the future. So don’t give up on your goals, maybe you just need to change the way you go about your resolutions.

Here are some great tips to help you follow through with your new year’s resolutions

Choose a specific goal

Make your goal realistic rather than drastic. For example, instead of saying “I'm going to get in shape this year” say “I’m going to lose 10 pounds”. Or if you are planning on running a marathon plan to run half a marathon instead. You can always work your way up to more. Instead of putting too high of a standard on yourself, make it more approachable to start off.

Limit your resolutions

By focusing on one goal at a time, it will give you time to plan, prepare and succeed in your new year’s resolutions. Yes, you may be ambitious and have a lengthy list of resolutions but focus on one goal at a time. You can always add more.

Take time in planning your goal

Try writing down your plan in more detail. Be more specific about what strategies and tools you will use to complete your goal. If you forget then you can look back at your plan.

Start with small steps

If you’re trying to run that marathon, but you’re not a runner. Start by jogging once or twice a week and work your way up to more days and longer periods of time. Or if you’re trying to really eat healthier, start by switching out one unhealthy food for a healthier option then work your way up to more varieties of healthy foods and eating out less.

Remember that change is a process, and long-term changes do not happen overnight. Be patient with yourself and the process and even if you fall back, you can always restart your journey.

Journaling

Try to keep a journal where you can write about your journey and what has been a success and what has been your struggles. Write down why you made these goals so you can look back to remind yourself why you chose this new year’s resolution when things get tough or you’re thinking of quitting.

It may take longer than you anticipated, and you may have to tweak some of your plans and strategies to complete your goals, but that’s all part of the process.

Remember everyone’s journey is different and they may do things differently to complete a similar goal and that’s okay. Be kind and patient with yourself and always celebrate any and all progress you make along the way.