Advice for keeping your New Year's resolutions

Jan. 1 marked the start of not only a new year, but also a new decade. If you are like most people, you have created New Year’s resolutions with the goal of becoming a better person and making this “your year.” Below are some helpful tips on how to give yourself the best chance of sticking to your resolutions. 

Do not create an overwhelming number of goals. 

People already have a busy schedule, and trying to fit in 10 new habits becomes impossible to sustain. By only setting one or two New Year’s resolutions, the goals become more attainable. Rather than running yourself into the ground, you will be able to focus all your attention on succeeding at just a few. While it is good to be ambitious, you should stay realistic. 

Make short-term goals. 

Procrastination tends to get the best of us. If the resolutions are vague and far away, like “I want to lose weight by the end of this year,” then it is harder to find the motivation to start now. Rather, by creating specific goals that can be attained in a short period of time, like “I want to do 10 push-ups,” you are more likely to stay motivated as you feel a sense of achievement with each goal you reach. 

Find the reason why. 

On a cold and rainy day, you might need a little more motivation to run outside than merely the fact that it is your resolution. You need to discover why you want to do it, so that you can have inspiration. It can also help to write down the reasons behind your goal, because it shows how much you care about it and truly want to change. 

Surround yourself with motivated people. 

Even if you find the best reason, everyone has days where they do not feel like doing anything. By telling close friends and family about your goal, they can keep you accountable. If they are motivated and believe in you, then their mindset will spread to you. 

One slip-up is not failing.

Regardless of the resolution you decide to pursue, you are still human and will mess up at one point. When you do, understand that it does not mean you failed to reach your goal. Instead, understand it for what it is – a mistake. This way, you can pick yourself up and continue to achieve your goal the next day.