A new year is upon us and with that comes the desire to change or improve something in our lives. Whether you want to get healthier, start a new hobby or just change your way of doing something there is no time like the new year to implement your plan. However, saying you want to make a resolution and actually keeping it are two totally different things. So, here are a few tips to help you plan and keep your New Year’s resolutions throughout the year.
Write It Down
Like most things, putting your thoughts down on paper can really help organize your thoughts and formulate a plan of action. Head down to your favorite store and pick up a cute journal or notebook that will be just for your resolution journey. Use the journal almost as a diary, where you can write down your daily or weekly thoughts on your progress of accomplishing your goals. Don’t be afraid to jot down any setbacks too! They will only help you see where you can improve on your journey to keeping your new years resolution!
Also, use the journal to mark down any other items you might want to work on throughout the year that might go hand in hand with your overall goal. For example, if your overall resolution is to get healthier than perhaps along the way you may also want to learn how to cook more nutritional food too? Incorporate ideas to weave improving your cooking skills into your overall resolution of getting healthier.
Find a Support System
Let the people in your life know about your plans for the new year. Be open and honest with why you want to accomplish your resolution and what they can do to help you succeed. You may even be able to find a close friend or relative that is seeking to make the same change in their own life in the new year? You can lean on each other as the year progresses and encourage one another with tips, ideas and check-ins to help you both make the changes you need and want to implement. Online support may also be an option! There are support groups and Facebook pages for almost any kind of support you may be looking for – from weight loss groups to groups that can help you quit smoking, you can pretty much find anything online in the vein of your resolution.
Create a Realistic Timeline
Depending on your resolution, you will need to be realistic in your timeline on when and how to hit each milestone. For example, if you want to start exercising more in the new year, you probably are not going to start running 5 miles per day on the 1st day of January? Start slow, set achievable goals for each week of the first several months of the year. When you get to March or April, see where you are at in keeping your resolution. If you’ve worked up to walking 2-4 miles per day by the spring, maybe you start running the last mile. Build up a tolerance to the change in your workout routine.
If you have a goal in mind for each month you won’t be so focused on the overall resolution or get overwhelmed by all the hard work in front of you throughout the year. Most people that fail in their resolutions do so because they try to accomplish too much too quickly or set unattainable goals from the get-go. Be realistic, keep things simple, and don’t be worried about giving yourself more time and you will be more likely to succeed in fulfilling your new year’s resolution