A new decade (and year) is officially upon us, and of course, this calls for a whole new set of New Year resolutions. As exciting as these resolutions are in the beginning, only 8% of people actually keep their New Year Resolutions while 80% of people fail to keep them.
Clearly, a majority of us have serious commitment issues with New Year resolutions, but why are they so hard to stick to?
Well, the problem lies not in our lack of motivation or our actual goals, but in how we actually set our resolutions up.
Think about it: New Year resolutions are broad goals that are meant to span the time period of an entire year, but this time frame is simply too large of a period. Short-term goals, such as in the span of 30 days, seems much more manageable and achievable in comparison to a year-long time frame. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should quit making resolutions altogether, but it is a strong indicator that we need a different way of making them.
Here are 5 New Year Resolution Alternatives that you’ll actually keep.
- Make a bucket list for the whole year
-
You can make this list as long or short as you want, and it could include a wide variety of things: places you want to travel to, restaurants you’ve always wanted to eat at, events you want to attend, or even books or movies you want to read and watch! Unlike the traditional New Year resolutions, bucket lists have a tangible aspect to it―meaning it’ll be easier to feel a sense of progress and accomplishment with your goals because you’re able to check off different things on your list throughout the year.
- Create monthly goals
-
These monthly goals can be anything you have in mind, but the key to making these goals successful is not only making sure they are realistic, but making sure they follow the S.M.A.R.T acronym (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time based). Following this framework will ensure you’re identifying what exactly needs to be accomplished and how it will be achieved.
- Develop a mantra or word to follow for the year
-
The best way to go about this alternative is to write down all the resolutions you have for the year, then find a common theme among your resolutions. After finding a common theme, find a word or mantra that matches the common theme of your resolutions. Some words you choose might be things like love, gratitude, courage, or kindness. And if you’re stuck and in need of some extra inspiration for your word or mantra, try looking up some quotes on Pinterest!
- Write a letter to your “future” self (a.k.a yourself a year from now)
-
Write down all the goals you are hoping to achieve by the end of the year and how you are planning on accomplishing them. Include some words of encouragement in there and anything else you think might be helpful or important. Then store the letter away in a safe place, and read the letter at the end of the year to see how much you actually achieved!
- Follow a 30-day or 90-day challenge
-
There’s a ton of 30-day and 90-day challenges out there that cover a wide range of categories like health, self-care, relationships, or saving money. To make the best of these challenges, make sure to pick ones that embody the overall goals you have in mind for the year. A quick search on Pinterest or Google can easily bring up hundreds of different challenges for you to try, so you’re bound to find challenges that fit your goals.
Happy 2020!