Now, it’s almost February and those long lists of resolutions we promised to keep at the beginning of the month are slowly fading away. I always try to improve the areas of my life that make me unhappy in the beginning of the New Year, but by this time my motivation is starting to dwindle. If you’re anything like me and you can’t seem to stay on top of those New Year’s Resolutions, here are a few tips to help you accomplish those goals in 2016!
1. Re-evaluate your new year’s resolutions.
If you aren’t able to stick to your resolutions after only a few weeks, then maybe you didn’t set a reasonable goal. This might be the time to take another look at those resolutions and create a new goal that will be more attainable. You might need to look at the many goals you set, and just pick one to stick with this year. By creating a more attainable resolution, you’ll feel more motivated to keep trying.
2. Put a reminder on your calendar each day.
Sometimes our New Year’s Resolutions just require a little reminder each day to get us to complete the task. If your New Year’s Resolution was to go to the gym twice a week, then set a reminder on your phone calendar that will force you to go to the gym when the alarm goes off.
3. Share your resolutions with your friends or family.
If you tell your friends your goals for the year, they’ll want to help you succeed! By trading resolutions with your family and friends, you can offer each other encouragement. This will help keep you motivated to accomplish your goals and hold everyone accountable for the commitments they made. It’s the perfect peer pressure!
4. Don’t give yourself any reasons to quit.
It can be easy to stop caring about your New Year’s Resolutions when February hits, but if you set a goal or a resolution that is truly important to you, don’t give yourself any reason to quit. Think about the reason you wanted to create the resolution and remind yourself of that when working toward the goal. If you think positively about your resolution, you will be less likely to want to give up.
5. Set a timetable to complete the resolution.
Maybe it’s time to give yourself a timeline in which you must accomplish your resolution. Then reward yourself when you complete it! It will become harder for you to quit when you set a time table. It can also be more effective if you tell your friends about your time table!
6. Imagine what it will feel like to accomplish your resolution.
You chose your resolutions for a reason. Now visualize what it is going to feel like when you actually accomplish them! By visualizing, you can imagine how great you will look and feel when you reach the end goal! This will help keep you motivated as you keep up with those resolutions.
7. Don’t Compare.
Many people make resolutions. Don’t compare how well you are doing with your resolutions to the progress of your best friend, sister, or boyfriend. Everyone chooses different things to work on, and you will only be hurting yourself by making those comparisons. Focus on yourself because you made these resolutions for you and you alone.
8. Keep a Journal or Log.
By keeping a journal or log of what you have done, you will be able to see how far you’ve come. This will keep you motivated and you won’t want to stop. Even if it’s only a little bit of progress each day, that can really add up over time.By writing it down, you can see the changes in a bigger perspective.
9. Reward yourself!
When you have reached a goal or made a huge step in reaching your goal, reward yourself with something that won’t deter your progress. If you are trying to lose weight, have a girl’s night in when you’ve lost 5 pounds. Don’t reward yourself with chocolate or a trip to Sonic. Instead buy the cute calendar you’ve had your eye on or a new necklace! Rewarding yourself can be a great way to keep up the motivation!
10. Finally, stick to your guns.
There must be some reason why you chose these resolutions. If you follow these steps and are truly committed to your New Year’s resolutions, you won’t have trouble keeping up your motivation and completing your goals for 2016. But remember, it takes awhile for something to become a habit, so give yourself grace if it’s hard at first. Don’t beat yourself up when it gets difficult. Instead, be persistent and remember that you can do anything you set your mind to.
I hope these tips will help you stay motivated and committed to your New Year’s Resolutions throughout the semester! And remember, if you can’t complete all of your goals this year, there’s always next year!