5 Ways to Stick to Your New Years Resolution [That Actually Work]
A new year means a new beginning. With 2020 in the rearview, it's time to make 2021 YOUR year! Here are 5 tried-and-true methods to help you stick to your New Years resolution.
1) Write Your Goals Down
According to a study from the Dominican University in California, people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. That's powerful! It is believed that the act of writing your goals makes them "more real", and places them at the forefront of your attention, rather than swimming around in your subconscious.
2) Set Short-Term Goals to Compliment Long-Term Goals
Instead of saying, "I will do [x]" this year, a more effective strategy may be to break down your year-long goal into shorter, more iterative goals. For example, if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in a year, you could divide 30 by 12, which gives you 2.5. Now you have a goal each month, enabling you to stay on target in achieving your long-term goal.
3) Set SMART Goals
Goals need to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based. This popular method of goal-setting has withstood the test of time, and for good reason.
Setting vague goals is setting yourself up for failure. When a goal is specific and well-articulated, the requirements for success and failure are clear. This allows the goal to be more easily measured, which tells you how close you are to achieving it.
If you experience too much failure and not enough success, your motivation will quickly run out, and you will lose interest in attaining your goal, which is why it must be achievable. This is also the case if your goal is irrelevant to you. If you are a bicyclist looking to improve your stamina, for example, your goal should not be to increase your free throw percentage in basketball.
4) Check In Regularly
In order to attain a goal over the course of a year, it is imperative to check in on a regular basis. This could be each day, each week, or even each month. The important thing is having a routine and sticking to it. This will help keep you accountable and informed about where you are in relation to your goal.
5) Tell Your Friends and Family
By verbalizing your intentions and goals to a person you trust, you create yet another source of accountability. It's often much easier to do something for someone else than ourselves (oddly enough).
This technique also allows someone to join alongside you in reaching a particular goal, in which you can help hold them accountable. It's a win-win!
I hope you enjoyed these tips and they prove to be useful for you this year. Have a great 2021, and I'll see you all next week!
-Dottie