Steps for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions
Every January presents people with an opportunity to make New Year’s resolutions and better their lives. While these ambitions and commitments are great to attempt, they can be discouraging if you find yourself struggling to maintain a resolution.
To set healthy and positive goals for 2022 and give yourself the best chance to reach them, consider these steps:
- Be realistic. You may have a lot of different ideas for improving your life, but it’s important to avoid putting too much pressure on yourself by setting goals that may be nearly impossible to achieve. Similarly, avoid having too many aspirations; focus on one or two primary resolutions.
- Get specific. Be detailed when thinking about your goals. Having ambiguous aspirations might make you unappreciative of small steps and moderate progress. For example, instead of simply planning to exercise more, set a specific goal regarding how many times you want to work out each week.
- Find a team. One of the best ways to maintain a New Year’s resolution is having a friend, family member or colleague to help keep you accountable. Tell people around you about your resolutions and see if anyone has similar goals.
- Take small steps. Splitting a resolution into a series of smaller goals can help keep you positive. For example, instead of immediately setting out to lose 25 kilograms in 2022, try to first lose 5 kilograms by the end of March. At that point, reassess and consider your next step.
- Record your progress. Keep a calendar and track your resolutions. Set regular dates for when you will record your progress, such as every two weeks or at the end of every month.