Use these tips for sticking to your New year’s Resolutions to follow through on your goals this year.
Creating a resolution for the new year is the easy part. Sticking with it may be harder than you may think. Most people’s resolutions fizzle out by the end of January, if they are lucky to make it that long. Here are 10 tips for Sticking with Your New Year’s Resolution that will help you stay the course and see your goals through.
10 Tips for Sticking with Your New Year’s Resolution
I have found that the best way to follow through on my resolutions is to do them imperfectly. So often we berate ourselves when we don’t follow our resolution perfectly, then we feel bad, and give up. My biggest recommendation for if when you slip up is to give yourself grace, analyze the situation to see if there was a reason you didn’t stick to your goal so you can avoid that situation again, and then get back to working on your goals.
Be realistic in your goal setting.
Don’t make a goal you know you will not be able to stick with. Making your goal something that is realistic for you will make for a much better outcome. For instance, it would be unrealistic of me to make a goal to go for a run each day because our weather varies wildly, but I could make a goal to run 3 – 5 times a week.
Take baby steps.
Along with making your goal realistic, make it achievable by setting smaller goals for a much longer-term one. For instance, if your goal is to cut out sugar from your diet, start by cutting out one thing that you eat a lot of sugar in, such as soda. After you master that mini-goal, move on to the next mini-goal.
Ask for support…of those who will provide it.
Some people find it helpful to tell their friends and family what their goal is and ask for their help. Others find it easier to keep their goals to themselves and only share with those who need to know. When I gave up sugar, I told my family because I was asking them to be supportive and not leave candy sitting around, but I didn’t make an announcement on Facebook because I knew I would receive a lot of negative comments.
Gather support materials long before New Year’s day.
If you are quitting a tobacco product, for instance, stock up on sugar-free gum, low-fat snacks, and start a hobby to replace this habit. Being prepared will help you reach your goal by giving you a sense of feeling ready.
Read books or online articles on why or how to accomplish your goal even after you have started working on your goal to help reinforce your reasons for setting the resolution.
Take one day at a time.
Did you know it can take up to 30 – 60 days for a change in behavior for something to become a habit? If you expect to see results in just a week or two, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Instead, try to just get through one day at a time, and soon you will notice it gets easier and easier.
Give yourself room to backslide.
Work on your goal imperfectly. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you fail at first. Just get back up and try again. Allowing yourself grace actually makes you more likely to succeed. If you beat yourself up for slipping, the shame and stress make you more likely to take actions that put you further from your goal.
Don’t expect quick results.
With health goals especially, know that it took you many years to fall into bad habits. Therefore, it may take many months to years to completely undo or break your old habits. Don’t let this stop you.
Celebrate and reward your efforts.
Even if your achievements seem small, celebrate them. For instance, if your goal is budgeting and you managed to not overspend for a week, treat yourself to something small (and within budget of course). Doing this for the first few months or so will motivate you to stick with your goal, even when it gets hard to do.
Toss out anything that reminds you or allows you to continue in your old habits.
Don’t have cookies in the cupboard if you are giving up sugar. Don’t have an ashtray on the end table if you are giving up smoking. Refuse to buy these items again. This way they are not there to tempt you.
Seek group support in your community.
Outside of family and loved ones’ support, look for group support from others who may be trying to change their habits. This means joining a gym (if weight loss is your goal) and taking classes, joining a quit smoking group if it makes sense, or even finding a group activity or class that can assist you in your new life goals. Let’s say your goal was to coupon. Attend a class in your area to meet others who have similar goals and you will build a support system for this new lifestyle change and make some like-minded friends.
More New Year’s Resolution Ideas:
50 Simple and Smart New Year’s Resolution Ideas
7 Ways to Plan Your New Year’s Resolutions
Leave a Reply