This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.
At the beginning of the year, there is so much excitement about the new beginning that it is easy to get caught up in making a laundry list of changes for the year to come. As time progresses, however, it can be increasingly difficult to maintain those changes. Classes start back up, school clubs are back to meeting up again, the work is piling up and before you know it you have completely lost sight of the goals you made just weeks ago. Losing sight of those goals doesn’t have to be the end of your journey to self improvement. Here are five tips to staying on track with those New Year’s Resolutions:
Step 1: Reevaluate. What were your goals in the first place? Are they realistic for or in need of tweaking? Unforeseeable events can arise and make your original goals seem unattainable. If that is the case, tweak the goals. For example: if you had planned to work out five nights a week for one hour but are now in classes into the evening, studying and writing papers well into the night, and meeting with clubs during the week consider making a spreadsheet and scheduling everything. Only have time to work out for an hour three nights a week now? Cool! Three nights is better than no nights and will keep you on track with your original plan. Things will calm down and you will be able to fit those five workouts in eventually, just don’t quit.
Step 2: Gather supports. Do you have friends struggling to uphold their goals too? Build a support system. Work together to attain these goals. You may even find out you are shooting towards the same targets and be able to get there together. Bonus: extra social time with friends.
Step 3: Allow for slip ups. You aren’t perfect and you are going to make mistakes and have slip ups. That is totally fine, as long as you get back to it. Don’t let the obstacles along the way keep you from quitting on the progress you are trying to make. If you fall off track for a little bit you can’t let that stop you, it happens to everyone and you aren’t alone. Make the mistake, learn, move on.
Step 4: Divide and conquer. Attacking a giant task seems really daunting, which can be discouraging and lead to giving up. Break the task in to smaller attainable pieces. Lots of small tasks are easier to take on than one humongous one.
Step 5: Reward yourself and acknowledge a job well done. I have a lot of tasks I am trying to take on, and they are all very lengthy processes. Some days I feel like I’m treading water and want to crawl in bed and eat Pop tarts with the blankets over my head, but that helps no one. I try to remind myself that everyday I am getting a little better and reward myself for accomplishments. Finished the research paper from hell? New nail polish! Made it through an eleven hour day without crying or skipping class? Extra episode of Parks and Recreation before bed! Squeezed in that workout when you really wanted squeeze in a nap? Star on the calendar. It doesn’t have to be big or cost money, just something to let you know that you are doing a good job and that it matters.
Accomplishing your goals isn’t easy, l and that is part of what makes it so darn satisfying when you do achieve them. Keep going and don’t give up, but if you do give up know that you can always come back. Your goals will still be there.