With the start of the new year comes thousands making their resolutions. These can range anywhere from the usual promises to oneself to exercise, eat healthier, quit a bad habit, etc, to some more specific resolutions, such as learning a new word each week, trying one new food a month, or whatever else.
No matter the resolution, the vast majority of resolutions go uncompleted. People give up for all sorts of reasons, common ones being that it was too hard, too time-consuming, too boring, or they just forgot about it. Quite honestly, that's sad. Why is it so hard to follow through with these goals we set for ourselves? By and large, the completion of any resolution would be for the benefit of the person who made it, and yet, many quit within the month of January.
With that in mind, here are a few tips towards achieving goals, whether it be a New Year's resolution or simply something you would like to do.
1. Have a specific goal.
Don't just say "I want to run more," or "I'll clean my room more," or "I'll eat less ice cream." Those are very non-specific statements, and you probably won't actually do them. People are way more likely to complete a goal if there's something definitive laid out. All of the above statements can be modified to "I want to run eight miles," "I'll clean my room every other week," or "I'll only eat ice cream once a week." Having an explicit goal will help you accomplish it, because you'll know exactly what you have to do.
2. Set a realistic goal.
A lot of resolutions get abandoned because people set goals that are "too hard." A goal is supposed to be something you need to work toward, but it should also be something feasible. For example, if you haven't run since middle school gym class, running a marathon may not be the best goal for you. Setting goals that you can realistically achieve gives you a better chance of going through with it, and you'll feel great knowing you accomplished what you set out to do.
3. Make a plan.
It sounds a little cheesy, but you're less likely to flake out on your goal if you map out how you'll achieve it. This doesn't need to be an in-depth flow chart or even a carefully detailed list (but it can be, if you want it to). Just a quick little note that you can pin to a bulletin board, or leave on your desk with a couple bullet points. You'll feel more like you're cheating on your goal if you make a plan that you ignore than if it's all in your head.
4. Start slow.
Presumably, whatever your goal is, it's something that's not going to be an overnight change. Therefore, your first day of working toward the goal shouldn't be what you will be doing at the goal's completion. For example, if your goal is to become a vegetarian, then you shouldn't go from eating meat in at least one meal a day to cutting it from your diet entirely. It's possible, but very difficult, and you will probably say your goal is too hard and give up. This is where that plan from Step 3 will come in handy.
5. Actually start.
Anyone can say they'll start going to the gym next week, or that they'll clean their house tomorrow, or that next time, they won't click "Play next" on Netflix. But these goals will never be accomplished if you keep saying "next week," "tomorrow," or "someday." Decide what you want to accomplish, make a plan, and get started. You can do anything you set your mind to once you actually start trying.
Make this the year that your New Year's resolution gets completed. And, if you think of another goal, don't think "Oh, it's too late to call it a New Year's resolution, so I won't do it." Why does it have to be Jan. 1 for you to have a goal? You can be constantly setting goals for yourself, and the more goals you achieve, the prouder you'll be.
