how to keep your new year’s resolutions
I have never had much luck keeping my new year’s resolutions. By the time February rolls around they have become a distant memory. I have decided that this year is going to be different and I am on a mission to successfully achieve every resolution I make for 2023! So let’s get to it!
A resolution is defined as a firm decision to do or not do something. So keeping this in mind, it’s seems the best way to make a resolution list is to think about things you can add to your life that will make it better. Conversely, think about the things you do that are harmful to you and decide which ones you are going to give up this year.
hints for making resolutions
Try to keep your number of resolutions to no more than four. Make two resolutions that add something positive to make your life better and then make two resolutions that require you to stop doing something that is affecting your life negatively.
Ex. of adding a positive: Walking every night for 20 minutes and reading 30 minutes per day. Ex. of stopping something negative: Stop eating junk food during the week and limiting your screen time per day.
Write down clear action steps of how you intend to achieve the goals that you set for the year. Don’t just say I want to lose weight. How much weight do you want to lose? What steps are you going to do to get you there? The more detailed you can be with your plan, the better chance you have of achieving your goal.
Remove temptations that will throw you off your game. If you want to lose weight, get rid of all the junk food in your house. If you want to spend less money, don’t take your credit cards to the store with you. Instead, just bring the amount of cash you have budgeted for what you want to buy.
Learn to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. You’re going to feel bad and uncomfortable for a while when you give up a bad habit. Realize this before you start and when you start to feel bad know that this is normal and embrace it.
If discipline was easy everyone in the world would have killer abs! Train your brain to know that pain is not the enemy. It is the secret to boosting self-control. Ever hear the saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?”
Remember why you started. When temptation hits and you feel like you want to give up remember why you made the resolution in the first place. Visualize yourself already achieving your goal or write down all the wonderful things you will gain when you achieve your goal. Check out my visualization blog.
Don’t give up if you have a slip or a few setbacks. This is normal when trying to achieve goals. Strive for progress rather than perfection.
Common New Year’s Resolutions
- Exercise more
- Lose weight
- Get organized
- Learn a new skill or hobby
- Save money and or spend less money
- Read more
- Travel more
- Quit smoking
- Spend more time with family and friends
Hopefully, the above list gives you some inspiration for your resolution list for 2022. It is always a good time to try and better yourself. If you find that you didn’t get the chance to get your list done by January 1st or if February or March roll around and you haven’t kept every resolution, keep going.
January 1st doesn’t have to be the only time you set goals and resolutions for yourself. You can wake up any morning of the year and make a list. That being said, the beginning of the year is also a marvelous time for a fresh start and a great time to begin a journey of self-improvement!
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