Let’s just be honest. New Years’ resolutions never stick. You’re probably thinking that’s a negative sentiment to start out the new year with, but hear me out.
New Years’ resolutions don’t stick because most of us go about them the wrong way. We think that just because we’ve rounded up everything we want to change about our lives into one-line sentences, we can achieve them.
So I thought I’d share a few things that have helped me stick with New Years’ resolutions over the years and maybe they’ll help you too.
Reflect routinely: Reflecting on your goals, actions and behaviours shouldn’t be an activity reserved for the end of the calendar year. Instead, if you were to do it as a routine, say every month or quarter, it would help you keep track of where you’re headed. Maintaining a journal for your goals or specific goals can also help you come back to it at the end of each period and review things.
Be specific: When it comes to achieving resolutions or anything really, one thing that really hampers our endeavours is being vague. “I want to lose weight”, “I want to make more money” these are examples of resolutions people often make. But it’s easy to fall off track here because you don’t hold yourself accountable due to the lack of specificity. A better goal would be to say “I want to lose 5 kg in the next 2 months”. Getting specific also helps us break down goals into bite-sized pieces that are easier to digest and accomplish.
Set attainable goals: Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to dream big. But bigger goals seem more achievable when you’re more confident in yourself. And confidence builds by achieving smaller goals. Keep your big goals in place, but set weekly and monthly milestones to keep yourself happy with your progress.
Shift to a habit-oriented mindset: I know I just spoke a whole lot about goals, but one of the most helpful things I’ve learnt this year is to focus on building habits instead of simply achieving goals. When you turn something into a habit, you start doing it on autopilot, without a lot of effort and that leads to a lot of consistency. And what does achieving goals require the most of? Yup, CONSISTENCY.
That’s all I have for you today. I know the new year doesn’t magically change things but getting a new start is always magical. Use it to your advantage. And Cheers!
Until next time,
Adete Happy New Year