It’s that time of the year again. The fun and excitement of the New Year’s festivities have come and gone, and now it’s back to the usual grind: seemingly endless textbook readings, all-nighters at Library West, and sleep deprivation.
With all of these distractions of the spring semester to preoccupy us, we often forget about those ambitious resolutions we made while watching the ball drop in Times Square. Whether it’s to lose a few pounds or to stop biting our nails, we all make resolutions in the hopes of bettering ourselves each year. As the weeks of January drag on, we get more and more lenient with our promises, and by February, they are usually completely forgotten.
Here are four tips that may help you stick to the New Year’s resolutions you’re trying so hard to keep:
Tip #1: NEVER make too many goals
Pick one specific goal, and follow through with it. It’s important to focus on one goal so you can put all of your attention on reaching it to the best of your ability. Chances are if you make several difficult goals, you’ll give up or forget about one along the way. Stick to one from the start.
Tip #2: It’s all about motivation
This can come in two forms: self-motivation and motivation from your peers. I personally prefer a mix of the two. Sticky notes always help. Leave them around your dorm or in your planner with things written on them like: “Get off Facebook, and go to the gym!” or “Stop being lazy!” In terms of motivation from your peers, get a friend on board to be your workout buddy, your church buddy, your study buddy, or whatever other buddy possibly pertains to your resolution. It’s always helpful to have someone go through the process with you. Plus, it makes things more enjoyable.
Tip #3: Stay organized
Having a structure and a plan is key for keeping your resolution. Organize yourself by making smaller steps in order to reach the ultimate goal. Buy an agenda, and plan out a week in advance when you’ll go to the gym or when you’ll catch up on readings or assignments for class. You’re more likely to follow a plan when you have one that’s written down on paper.
Tip #4: Believe and you will achieve
As cheesy and overused as this saying may be, it’s totally true! If you don’t genuinely believe you can lose weight, get in shape, or stop eating junk food, there’s no point in even trying. It’s important to realize some goals will be met after a long period of time; you can’t expect to lose 20 pounds in one week. But don’t let that discourage you! Visualize yourself achieving your goal and think about how accomplished and proud you’ll feel when you finally do. Setting goals is great, but actually succeeding is even better.
As busy college students with so many things to sidetrack us, this is understandable, but it is also completely preventable. By following some of these tips, you can easily stick with your resolution until the end of the year, which will definitely give you the confidence to make even better goals again next year.