How Do I Stick to My New Year's Resolutions?
Written by Anam Tariq, one of our advice column writers, and edited by Greg Tomaini, one of our editors!
The question that I am going to answer today is, “How do I stick to my New Year’s Resolutions?” I, personally, am not up with the whole New Year Resolution thing because I make resolutions about improving myself whenever I learn a new lesson in life and try to follow those resolutions.
Nevertheless, I can sure offer you a few ways in which you can stick to your goals and can perhaps actually accomplish them.
1. Make realistic resolutions
First of all, I would suggest that when you are making a list of resolutions, make sure that all those goals are possible and achievable. Don’t make such goals which are improbable, and if you say that your goals are probable, then you need to see whether you can achieve them or not because the goals may be probable for others but you may not have the capacity or means to accomplish them. So, write your resolutions keeping this in mind. If your goals are realistic, you can set yourself up for success.
2. Keep the list short
Keep the list of your goals precise. A large number of goals will make the whole process look daunting and will hence discourage you. While a limited number of goals, in my opinion 7 or 8, will be easier for you to remember and to enforce in your life. Lesser goals will make it look less exhausting. But in case you have more than 8 goals, you can initially start with the first few goals and once you accomplish them, you can make a new list incorporating the remaining goals.
3. Take 2 or 3 goals monthly
One thing that you can do is to start small, that is, to take 1, 2, or maximum 3 resolutions from your list every month, focus on them, and try to tick them off on a monthly basis. Take little by little. In this way the whole thing won’t seem overwhelming.
4. Write your goals in places where you can read them daily
Writing your new year resolutions in such places that your eyes fall on them daily would work as a nice reminder, nudging you to be on track. For instance, if I have made resolutions about inculcating some good traits in me, like patience, gratefulness, and joviality, then it would be helpful to me if I could see these goals all the time and be reminded that I need to be patient, grateful, and jovial.
5. Be sincere
Lastly, I think you need to be really sincere about this whole thing, about actually attaining the goals set by you at the start of the year. Only then can you work towards it. Also, you need to persist because there will be moments when you would think that it’s not possible to follow these goals anymore or it is very hard. But it is in those moments that you need to be persistent and you need to say to yourself, “If I have ticked off a few of the resolutions, I can take up the remaining as well.”
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This piece was written by one of our advice column writers, Anam. Reach her at @anam.tariq_ on Instagram!
This piece was edited by one of our editors, Greg! Reach him at @Gtomaini on Instagram and Twitter!
