Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone had a refreshing winter break. Every new year it’s tradition to repeat the same phrase, “My New Year’s resolution this year is….”. We say the same thing every year, but it rarely goes anywhere. According to research by UAB Medicine News, “Less than 8% of people stick to their resolutions each year.”. It is very common for Americans to set high goals each year and not achieve them. The most common New Years Resolutions according to goskills.com are: exercise more, lose weight, get organized, learn a new skill, and live life to the fullest. Most of the time, people know that they aren’t even going to achieve their resolutions, so they don’t even make any. It stated that in discoverhappyhabits.com, “73% of Americans chose not to make a New Year’s resolution for 2020”. So, if you’re in the minority that want to keep your New Year’s resolution for this year, here are 5 tips on how to keep them!
- Set specific goals.
People tend to confuse goals and resolutions. Resolutions are a firm decision to do or not to do something. A goal is the object of a person’s ambition or effort. So from the definitions, these are two different things. Try setting micro-goals that are specific and realistic and this can generally help you reach your ultimate goal. For example, take a person who wants to lose 50 pounds within the year. Seeing 50 as a big number may seem tedious to some people. But setting micro-goals, like losing 4 pounds each month, it becomes doable within the year.
2. Document your progress.
Resolutions are such ambiguous things. We as people have this resolution in our minds and try to stick to it. But a lot of the time, without the correct plan, it will all just fall apart. According to a study done at the Dominican University in California, “…a person is 62% more likely to achieve their goals just by writing them down.” Plans such as journaling, updating a chart, or keeping track of an app can do wonders. For example, keeping an app that tracks a person’s calorie count and what they eat in a day can help them lose weight.
3. Make time for your goals.
Everyone has the same 24 hours a day. Although for some more than others, they don’t feel like 24 hours. Managing one’s time is something some people do better than others. It’s not a skill that everyone is amazing at. But setting aside time to work for your resolution boils down to pure determination. Put aside time to go to the gym or go grocery shopping to obtain a new diet.
4. Take a minute each day.
It is really easy to get overwhelmed and overworked about other aspects of life. Having to deal with everything in one’s life can seem to be a burden. At times, one may not want to focus on their resolutions. That’s why making time to prioritize one’s mental health and making sure one is mentally prepared to better themselves before taking the time to do it. Taking deep breaths and visualizing one with their resolutions complete can help one center themselves and feel rejuvenated to tackle their goals.
5. Have people hold you accountable.
By having a support system in your corner, helping you reach your goals, it’s more likely to achieve them. Having people that one feels comfortable with that can remind them to keep track of their progress, will hold accountability to the person to make sure they reach their resolution. Simply having a loved one involved in one’s process will make sure that the person works towards their goal.