As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to reflect upon everything we’ve accomplished, everything we are grateful for, and everything we would like to do in the upcoming year. It’s very common for people to set New Year’s resolutions, and doing this can be a good and productive practice, as long as you set realistic goals and make sure you stick to them.
Unfortunately, only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions. All the others lose their excitement in time, are unable to find their motivation, and end up abandoning their plans. If you are part of the great majority of people who don’t stick to their goals, it might be time for a change.
So, what can you do to actually keep your New Year’s resolutions? Here are some tips on how to successfully achieve your goals:
Set Realistic Goals
One of the most important rules of goal setting is choosing realistic goals. While it’s great to dream big, you need to think about the things you can accomplish in a shorter period of time and use them to achieve your bigger goals.
Not only should your goals be realistic, but they should also be measurable. Aiming for something vague like being healthier or having more fun will not keep you motivated and you will end up feeling lost. Therefore, make sure you know exactly what you want to achieve.
Also, don’t strive for perfection. For example, let’s say that you realized that you eat too many sweets. Instead of making a goal out of never eating sweets again, try to set a more realistic limit, such as one chocolate per week or something similar.
Find Your Motivation
Your motivation or your ‘why’ is what keeps you working towards your goals. That’s why it’s essential to make sure you know the real reason behind every one of your resolutions. This way, whenever you’re feeling unmotivated, and you want to give up on your dreams, you can remind yourself why you started and what benefits you will get by accomplishing your goals.
When you write down your resolutions, make sure you also mention why you want to accomplish certain things. Go into as many details as possible—explain the benefits of achieving your goals and how they will make you feel.
However, finding your ‘why’ goes deeper than finding the reasons behind some of your resolutions. It also involved finding your life’s purpose and the thing that motivates you to get out of bed every morning. Once you find this, it will be much easier to set and accomplish your goals, as you will know in which direction you want your life to evolve, and you will also establish what your values and priorities are.
Plan Ahead
Making a plan on how to work towards your goals will help you stay focused and organized. If you don’t have a plan, you might end up feeling lost and, as a consequence, less determined to make a change in your life.
Plus, it’s difficult to get used to new habits if you don’t make a plan on how to integrate them into your life. For example, if you want to exercise more, decide upon the days of the week when you want to go to the gym and what type of workout you want to do.
Set Monthly Goals
While most people only set yearly resolutions, I recommend also setting monthly goals. By doing this, it’s easier to stay motivated as you get to see your progress from one month to another. Plus, it’s much easier to stay organized if you know exactly what you need to do each month to work towards your bigger goals.
Therefore, I recommend identifying your priorities for each month, making a plan on how to accomplish them, and then, at the end of the month, analyzing your progress. Also, don’t forget to reward yourself for everything that you manage to accomplish. Small victories are important, and they should be celebrated.
For more tips on how to set and achieve monthly goals, check out this article.
Talk about Your Resolutions
Don’t keep your goals secret. Share them with your friends and family.
Talking about your resolutions will make you more excited to accomplish them, and you will also have the support of your loved ones. Plus, you might find someone who has a similar goal, and you can keep in touch and motivate each other.
Final Thoughts
So, are you ready to set your New Year’s resolutions?
If you are not sure whether you should set goals or not, keep in mind that people who set goals are ten times more successful than those who don’t. It is a great way to stay organized, to contemplate upon what you want from your life, and it can also be a fun activity.
I hope the tips above will not only determine you make a list with your New Year’s resolutions, but they will also help you keep them and create the life you want.
What do you hope to accomplish in 2022? Share your resolutions in the comments below.
