Making New Year’s resolutions is the easy part, but making them happen takes work. Fortunately, there are many ways to ensure you keep them.
Every year, millions of people across the globe make New Year’s resolutions. Some of the most common resolutions fall under health, fitness, improved finances, and other categories that cover personal and professional development. Unfortunately, studies such as one from the Journal of Clinical Psychology show that only 46% of people who made New Year’s resolutions were successful, meaning that more than half of resolvers don’t realize their goal.
Common New Year’s Resolutions
Often, resolutions tend to focus on areas that lack progress or are simply those that can always be even better.
One common goal for many is to be wiser with money spending. Creating a budget and sticking to it is always a good place to start when it comes to financial resolutions. But, there’s a good chance that many, if not all, of the financial resolutions you made in 2020 didn’t happen on account of the global pandemic. Fortunately, there is one great way to save money despite any circumstances. It is by saving money on your utility bill, which plays a big part in your monthly expenses. It’s also wise to consider looking into utility bill management services that can properly and efficiently manage your utility bills for you. Besides making your household and usage habits more energy-friendly, one instant way to save a significant amount from your yearly bill is to look for the cheapest electricity companies in your area.
Another common goal concerns improving our health by exercising more, losing weight, and eating a healthier diet. Throughout the pandemic, self-care became the new trend as we also learned the importance of stopping to smell the roses. Taking care of our mind’s health is just as important as quitting an unhealthy habit, spending more time with loved ones, and just taking the time to do what our soul desires. Maybe traveling more will be challenging in 2021 as well, but you can still discover new worlds by reading more, learning a new skill, or trying out a new hobby.
Tips On Sticking With Your New Year’s Goals
Keeping your New Year’s resolutions can be daunting once the holiday cheer wears off. What is important to remember is that the New Year is not meant to serve as a make-or-break moment for life altering changes. It should be viewed as an opportunity for people to reflect on our life, our past year’s behavior and inspire us to make positive lifestyle changes.
Make SMART goals
By making your resolutions realistic, there is a greater chance that you will keep them throughout the year. One great guideline is for your goals to be SMART. Specific as in you will quit a bad habit as opposed to be healthier. Measurable meaning quantifiable such as you will lose a specific number of kilos as opposed to losing weight. Attainable means your goal is challenging enough to motivate you but possible as opposed to going to Mars. Relevant means your goals should align with your priorities in life as otherwise, you risk losing motivation. Timely means giving yourself a deadline, but not as a source of stress but as a motivational date when you will celebrate your achievement. If you have those categories covered, you are good to go as your goals can now be integrated into your lifestyle.
Eat The Elephant One Bite At A Time
A lot of us make the mistake to be too grandiose once enthusiastically setting goals. Start small and build your way to your big goals. For example, if you want to dramatically change your diet, first try replacing a desert, then a whole day, followed by several days a week. Drastic changes are not natural and are often seen by our minds and body as threatening or even a form of punishment. Be gentle to yourself and ease your way into your goal. Your self-esteem will also increase with every goal you achieve and give you more strength to persevere. Also, keep in mind that it’s better to tackle one resolution well than multiple resolutions poorly.
Do Not Get Discouraged
Do not beat yourself up if you fall. Missing a goal by 10% or even 80% is not a complete failure and the same goes for finishing a task late. A moment of weakness is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Setbacks are completely fine, as long as you learn from them and keep on moving. Keep in mind that an unhealthy habit was not created overnight in the first place, just like Rome was not built in a day, so adopting a healthy one also takes time.
Do Not Go At It Alone
When people come together, magic happens. Share your goals with your ‘soul tribe’ or your loved ones. By declaring your intentions out loud, you will be held accountable and your community can be a great source of support and encouragement.
Takeaway
Despite the best of intentions, once the glitter of a fresh new year vanishes, many people struggle to follow through with their plans. Naturally, nobody wants to be on the side of those who fail to achieve their aspirations and dreams for 2021. The above tips can help you follow through with your resolutions and make 2021 your best year to date. To sum it up, honoring your New Year goals is a great way to ensure that you live your life to the fullest.
