As 2016 comes to a close and 2017 peeks over the horizon, the New Year is here. With the new year comes New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions typically consist of wanting to lose weight, wanting to go to the gym and wanting to be healthier which, don’t get me wrong, are great goals. However, the mentality with which we approach these resolutions sets us up for failure and frustration. Here’s how to plan a New Year’s resolution that will lead to success.
Reflect
A New Year’s resolution should be geared towards YOU and YOUR goals, regardless of the influences or opinions of others. In order to figure out your resolution take some time to reflect. What makes you happy? How do you see yourself now? How do you want to see yourself? How do you want to reach your goals? Write these down. Re-reflect on each of these questions, or ones you come up with on your own. As you pursue your resolution you may be surprised at how your views change.
Start Small
Setting small goals may seem to undermine a big change, but can do just the opposite. Small goals are more feasible to be accomplished. They’re fun, achievable, and rewarding. Meeting your small goals helps you stay motivated and can ultimately develop the drive to accomplish your bigger resolutions.
Be Reasonable with Yourself
Change is new. Change can be jarring, exciting, and uncertain all at once. It doesn’t just happen because a ball drops or a clock strikes midnight. Change takes time. Give yourself time to change. You’re not going to become a marathoner or culinary wizard overnight, although with time and dedication you just might.
Face Adversity
If you fall off track, take these fumbles head on. Failing isn’t something to fear. Maybe it means something didn’t go according to plan, but these fumbles give you an opportunity to figure out why. With evaluation you may come to the conclusion that your chosen method doesn’t work for you. You may even decide to change your plan altogether! Trial and error is a way to personalize your plan, adjusting as you see fit to help you stick to your resolution.
Get Organized
We all live busy lives so even setting a resolution can seem like one more thing to cross off the to-do list. Take a moment to get organized. This can help you see where you have availability to get in that 30 minutes of exercise, make a lunch for the next day, read a book or spend more time with your friends and family.
Make it Fun
Your resolutions shouldn’t be something you dread. There may be times when your resolution becomes challenging, but this can offer a chance to diversify your approach. Change isn’t easy, but the results are worth the challenge. Explore and allow yourself to try new things. You may end up loving something you never thought you would, just by going out of your comfort zone.
Extra: Off The Beaten Path Resolutions
Making resolutions may be repeats of unsuccessful resolutions from years prior. Try something new and see how these resolutions ripple into other aspects of your life.
