How to Stick to Your New Years Resolutions
You’ve finally run out of turkey for sandwiches and curries, there are no more Christmas films on TV and the family-size box of chocolates is empty (except for the coconut ones). Attention has now turned to the year ahead and the pledges that many of us make to be better people over the next 12 months. It’s time to stick to your New Years resolutions and find ways to be more specific with your goals.
Here, we examine how you can maximize your chances of not giving up by February.
How to achieve and stick to your New Years resolutions?
At the start of every new year, many people set new goals but only a few actually go on to achieve these. The biggest mistake is that many people identify what they want to achieve but do not think about how to do it.
Here are the keys steps to take in ensuring you create an effective New Year’s resolution plan:
1. Is it specific?
Bad goal: I want to save more money this year
Good goal: I will save £6,000 this year
Goals need to be specific, as humans we work better when we have a clear goal in mind. The ‘want to do my best’ goal can be great for motivation but being specific can help give you a clear focus on what needs to be done.
2. Can it be measured?
Bad goal: I want to lose weight
Good goal: I will lose 2 stone by my son’s wedding
As you can see in the above goal, it’s specific but it also allows us to measure it and see the progression as time passes. This helps with keeping you motivated as you can see how far you have come.
3. Is it achievable or attainable?
Bad goal: I want to speak to my friends on the phone each week
Good goal: I will use the bus journey home to talk with my friends every week on the phone.
This is a key component of the action plan. Is the goal I am setting attainable? You want a balance of challenge, to keep you motivated, but not too hard as you might lose focus and experience feelings of anxiety and stress.
4. Is it realistic?
Bad goal: I want to fit into my old jeans
Good goal: I am going to get into my old jeans by June 1, 2020
Make sure your goal can be achieved realistically in the time frame you are looking to achieve them in. This is the part where you need to make use of setting goals that are both long and short term; our main goal may be 6-8 months away but by setting short term goals you will always have an upcoming goal to works towards.
5. Is it exciting?
Bad goal: I want to save money
Good goal: I will save money so I can take my children on holiday to Disneyland
Your goal needs to be exciting. If planned correctly, this can help you stay motivated when you are experiencing a particularly tough decision that takes you away from your goal. Try coming up with different and interesting ways of making your goals exciting.
As you can see all the good goals are in a positive assertive fashion. This type of mindset will help you stay motivated to achieve those goals. With these tips in mind, you’ll hopefully understand why we make resolutions and why keeping on track with New Years resolutions are so hard.