How to Make and KEEP New Years Resolutions

Tracy Cook – Realtor – Fuquay Varina – Raleigh – Triangle

Community First Realty

Do you find yourself making resolutions, and then a month in, you already slipped up? New Year’s resolutions seem all well and good when making them, but it’s another thing to actually stick to them throughout the year. These tips are here to help.

Make them specific

Saying you want to “lose weight” is a surefire way to fail. It simply isn’t specific enough. Tailor your goals to your lifestyle and make attainable goals that you’ll actually be motivated to stick to. Make it a resolution to lose (or gain) a specific amount of weight, or to go to the gym x amount of times a week, or to train for a half-marathon. Health and fitness-related goals are just one example, but this tip applies to any type of resolution. The more specific you get, the more likely you are to stick to what you set out to achieve at the start of January.

Hold yourself accountable  

Another way to ensure success is to talk about your resolutions with other people. This way, you’re not just saying you want to accomplish things in your head, rather, it’s out there and people know about them. If you find you have similar goals to other people, hold each other accountable, and even challenge each other to keep going. Surrounding yourself with supportive people is always a good way to stay inspired.

Start small

If your resolution list is 10 goals long, and they’re all pretty big ones, you may want to head back to the drawing board. Years go by fast, and daily tasks don’t get put on hold just because it’s the new year. Be realistic about your goals. You’ll be more likely to commit to resolutions if they’re things that can actually be accomplished in a year.

Create a plan

If you want to stop smoking, create a chart of where you want to see yourself a week, a month, and 6 months from now. If you want to be on social media less, set restrictions on your phone. If you want to take up a new hobby, track your progress in a journal or in an app to keep tabs on what you’re accomplishing. Whatever your resolution is, set small benchmarks for yourself.

Don’t beat yourself up

Life throws us curveballs, and sometimes things are out of our control. If you find yourself straying from your resolutions, know that it’s okay, and sometimes, may be for the best. There are only so many hours in a day, and we often overwhelm ourselves with keeping up with it all. Your resolutions aren’t going anywhere—there’s always the option to go back to square one, but it’s silly to put too much pressure on yourself.