Most articles pertaining to New Years resolutions are aimed to motivate and help track progress. But what if you simply have the tendency to not follow through on them at all? Follow these steps and you'll be well on your way to a new you!
1. Write 'Em Down
Whether it is on the notes section of your phone, in an email to yourself, your daily journal, or a corkboard in your room, write down your resolutions in a place where they can be easily found. When you write them down, establish why you want to accomplish them in the first place. Add to these writings (I am a huge fan of Google docs or phone notes for this stuff, because you can easily add to it and evolve it) whenever you have a new motivation, want to tweak it, or just hope to express yourself some more.
If you think of something new that is important to you, take it on! Finding what really inspires you will be easier to commit to. Just be sure they are within your reach. A way out of reach goal will just make you feel worse.
2. Really Care
Having group resolutions may be fun, but if you aren’t 100 percent on board, they aren’t going to happen. If all your friends are resolving to lose weight, but you really want to make more time for baking, go for the baking. Resolutions that don’t matter don’t stick and they are for you, not others. On that same note, not every resolution is going to the gym or doing yoga (though those are certainly good ones).
The best resolutions are the ones that make you smile from deep inside, or are something that will feel great to finally get over. So if that’s getting work done early, sharing meals with your cat or quitting a bad habit, just do it. You’ll be happy you did.
3. Find Time And Balance
This is a piece of advice I was given a long time ago, and it has completely changed the way I accomplish goals. Before you can use time for your goals, you need to have it already worked into your schedule with something you love. So, for instance, if you want to go to the gym every day at 7 A.M., and are usually sleeping until then, try this: Wake up at 6:30 A.M. to do something you enjoy, like watching Netflix.
Fill the time you want to give to the gym with this. Then, slowly start transitioning this time (eventually the show will get boring or the season will end right?). So maybe watch Netflix Monday and Wednesday, but head to the gym Tuesday and Thursday. So long as you aren’t staying in bed, you are building up a habit that will eventually become the one you want. It is easier to change a habit than it is to start a brand new one.
Also, not all resolutions are made equal. Some come easy and some take a lot of dedication and time. For those harder ones, take them on in small doses. It’s OK to change your resolutions to fit into your life. If you keep your balance, you’ll find it easier to keep your resolutions.
4. Forgive, But Don't Forget
Don’t beat yourself up for messing up, but do NOT give up. It’s OK to forget or put a commitment first, but it only takes one break to get out of habit. So if you break your streak, make sure that you don’t miss again, and get back on track. It’s the hardest part, but it’s so important. Just get back into it as soon as you can before you forget.
5. Show, Don’t Tell
Don’t tell people your resolutions. If you do, then your mind inherently pats you on the back just for having the idea and having someone think you are going to do it. If you don’t tell anyone, you can't get that reward. Keep it to yourself until you’re done (or far enough) to actually show what you have done. You’ll be more motivated to show off.
Good luck!
