Christmas has come and gone, and the end of December is fast approaching, meaning that January- and the new year- are almost upon us. Every new year we all compile long lists of resolutions and goals, with high expectations for the future, but more likely than not, we rarely end up sticking with our new year’s resolutions for over a month before we fail and crumple our lists, thinking to ourselves that maybe we’ll try again next year.
However, this year doesn’t have to be the same as the past twenty years; you can change, and make your goals last the entire year. Here are our ideas on how you can make your resolutions last longer.
Simplicity is Best
A new year can be like a Monday; you can start your diet on Monday or start your workout plan at the beginning of the week. It can be easy to plan to change your whole life in the new year. But is that attainable? Not really, try to focus on one or two specific goals that you want to accomplish in the coming year. Instead of quitting smoking, you could try to stop smoking so much per day.
Be Specific
It’s nice that you want to lose weight in 2020, but how much weight do you want to lose? By the end of January, how many pounds do you want to have dropped? Get specific about the weight you want to lose and when you want it gone. Setting small, specific goals, like cutting out one food (e.g. donuts) a week (or month), can also help you stick with your long term goals.
Be Realistic
Keep reality in mind. Determine what led to the failure of resolutions in the past. Trying to save too much money or lose too much weight at the start of a year can set yourself up for discouragement. Set more short-term goals that are realistic and less longterm goals that you’ve failed repeatedly in the past.
Get Accountability
Let others know your goals. Tell your friends what you’re going through so they can support you and help keep you on track. Join a club or group of people who all have similar goals and work together to attain those.
Accept Failure
Failure happens and is almost guaranteed throughout life. That doesn’t mean that when you fail, once you have to give up on everything. Most people who are starting a diet feel bad after they mess up and eat a cookie, then they eat more cookies and feel guilty and quit their diet for a couple of days. When you mess up, accept that messed up, but don’t let one mistake change your goals.
Make Smaller Goals
Be specific when making your goals. Set more, smaller goals instead of fewer large goals. Set clear, realistic goals such as losing 5 pounds, saving $30 a month, or going for a run once a week. Plan out exactly how you will make these goals happen.
