4 Ways to Follow Through With Your New Year's Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition, but that doesn’t mean they always work. Many people set themselves up to fail by resolving to do something they cannot keep up on their own, such as give up alcohol for the next 365 days. Yet, there are ways to follow through with resolutions and achieve them. The key is focusing on smaller goals so they aren’t so overwhelming. There are three simple ways you can successfully follow your resolutions and actually achieve them this year. Keep reading for more information about how you can succeed with New Year’s resolutions and actually achieve them this year.
Be Specific
One of the biggest reasons people fail at their New Year’s resolutions is because they aren’t specific enough. This isn’t to say you need to write out a 10-page list of instructions for yourself on how to achieve your goal. However, it is important to be as specific as possible when setting yourself resolutions. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure. For example, if you want to achieve a better work-life balance this year, that’s not specific. However, if you wanted to reduce your work hours from 50 to 40 hours per week, that’s specific. Being specific will help you to stay on track and reach your goals.
Set Short- and Long-Term Goals
Another way to successfully follow through with resolutions and achieve them is to set both short- and long-term goals. As we’ve discussed, New Year’s resolutions are often too large to achieve in a single year. It’s best to break these resolutions down into smaller goals. For example, if you want to achieve a better work-life balance, one of your short-term goals could be to reduce your work hours from 50 to 40 per week. A long-term goal might be to become a manager and have more control over your work schedule. Short-term goals are meant to be achieved within the next six months. Long-term goals are meant to be achieved in 12 months or more, depending on what you’re resolving to do.
Find an Accountability Partner
Another way to follow through with your New Year’s resolutions and achieve them is to find an accountability partner. An accountability partner is someone who will hold you accountable to your resolutions and help you stay on track. They can be a family member, friend, or colleague. An accountability partner can help you in a number of ways. They can hold you accountable for achieving your resolutions by asking you to report back on your progress. They can also provide you with support and encouragement when you need it. Lastly, an accountability partner can offer advice and assistance when you need it. Getting an accountability partner and deciding on the best way for the two of you to communicate is a great way to stay on track and achieve your resolutions.
Celebrate Every Small Win
Finally, a great way to follow through with your New Year’s resolutions and achieve them is to celebrate every small win. Successfully following your resolutions and achieving them is a long and difficult journey. Along the way, you’re going to encounter many challenges and obstacles. It’s important to celebrate the small successes along the way. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight and have resolved to do so, when you reach a milestone, such as going to the gym regularly, mark it in a way that makes the achievement special. For example, you could get a small reward, such as a new workout shirt, or make the milestone bigger by telling your friends and family about it. Celebrating small wins along the way will help to keep you motivated and help you to achieve your resolutions.