It’s funny how New Year’s resolutions somehow cease to exist a couple of weeks into the New Year. On the eve of the New Year, we all make declarations about the things we would like to work on and do more of. Days later and for some weeks later, the booze and excitement of NYE wears off and is replaced by a level of complacency. The vision boards and resolutions lists are just sitting collecting dust. Well, this does not have to be you this year.
This year, you will prove to be just as productive and committed as you were when you were jotting down your resolutions. Here it is, here are 4 effective tips that will help you actually follow through with your New Year’s resolutions.
- Get an accountability partner(s)
When you let people in on the goals you’ve set out for yourself in the New Year, you’re consciously making a commitment to them as well. The mere fact that other people will be expecting you to commit to your resolutions will jolt into action even when your commitment to yourself is wavering.
What’s more, when people are aware of your resolutions you tend to benefit from their support. When your self-discipline and motivation is alarmingly low, they will be there to cheer you on.
- Clarify your resolutions
Ensuring that your resolutions are tangible and achievable makes it easier to follow through with them. It is significantly easier to achieve your goals when they are trackable. For instance, if your goal is to read more books in the new year, instead of writing “read more books” giving a quantifiable goal like “read two books a month” places the odds in your favor.
If you can track your goal, then you will be able to know if you are slacking or killing your resolutions.
- Positively frame your resolutions
Your resolutions should not constantly pick at your weaknesses or put you down. Resolutions with a negative connotation are a surefire way to deter you from achieving your goals. Change your perspective and the language used when setting goals. If your goal is to lose weight, instead of writing “get a thinner body” say something like “cultivate a healthier and more intentional relationship with my weight”. That way, you are not doing it to fit into some sort of standard but to improve on your wellbeing.
- Focus on the process and not the end goal
When you commit to your New Year’s resolutions, don’t focus too much on the end goal. The best way to stick to a new course of action is by committing and enjoying the process. If you are fixated on the finish line, the journey in between will be lost to you and you are more prone to give up. It is a lot easier to complete something if the journey is enjoyable.
You don’t have to be stuck in the same routine of creating, beginning, and falling off on New Year’s resolutions. These four tips will help you enjoy the journey and maintain the same enthusiasm you had when you were setting your goals.
