Get A Resolution +1
Change is hard enough, but making an epic change inyour life is nearly impossible if you go at it alone. Getting a resolution buddy can help you stay accountable and give you someone to vent to when the going gets tough.
Because let's face it, the going always gets tough.
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Make Realistic Resolutions
While it's totally possible that you could run a marathon, re-organize your house and write the great American novel all in one year, it's probably not that probable.
So make sure your resolutions are actually do-able and that your goals are manageable. If just reading your list of resolutions makes you want a nap, you've probably overcommitted yourself from the start.
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Focus On Process Not On Results
"Lose 10 pounds" is probably on everyone's resolution list, but how are you going to do that? Reboot your resolutions by making them about the process, not theresult. So if you want to lose 10, maybe set a goal for how many times a week you're going to hit the gym or that spin class you've been stalking but never dared sign up for.
You can control theprocess. You can't control the result.
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Schedule Time To Actually Accomplish Your Goal
If you work crazy long hours and have kids at home, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro might not be the best goal. So make sure you're not setting yourself up to fail by creating resolutions you've got no time to execute.
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Set Mini Milestones Along The Way
Sometimes big lofty goals like quitting smoking or living within a certain budget can seem insurmountable. But if you set small goals and milestone along the way, the task doesn't seem so hard to achieve.
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Document Your Progress And Your Success
Whether it be a resolution journal, tracking your progress in your calendar or an app that helps you track your success, document your progress and celebrate meeting your mini milestones.
Your success will ebb and flow, but documenting your successes and failures helps you look back and see what did and didn't work. That helps you stay on track.
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Don't Be So Quick To Quit
When the going gets tough, the tough don't break their new year's resolutions.
So whatever your resolutions are, take them one day at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are your goals. Hang in there. Everything will get easier!
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Cheating Doesn't Have To Mean Quitting
OK, so you caved and had a donut when you promised yourself you'd cut carbs for three months.
Don't freak out.
Just get back on the program. It's not that big a deal.
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Check In With Yourself
If you were our own boss, you'd have regular progress reports and a means of checking in. So be your own boss and check in with yourself. If your resolutions aren't going the way you want, assess why and make a change.
And if something's working, figure out why, as well. You can probably apply that success to other areas of your life.
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Make Sure You Can Afford Your Resolutions
If you're broke, it's probably not a great idea to decide that the key to losing weight is joining the fancy gym up the street.
But, you could get in shape with just a pair of decent running shoes and a great playlist on your iPhone.
So make sure that achieving your resolutions doesn't rely on you shelling out a boatload of cash that you don't actually have.
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Make A Plan And Stick To It
If you're trying to quit smoking, or you want to de-clutter your house, you're probably not going to make that happen without a plan.
Why?
Well, because you've probably tried a dozen times before, and you found that will power alone wasn't enough to get you the success you want.
So make a realistic plan. Write it down. Put it in your calendar. And then do it. One day at a time.
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Be Honest With Yourself
If you're not sticking to your goals or you've fallen off the wagon a bit, don't lie to yourself. At the same time, don't beat yourself up.
Be honest.
Why aren't you moving forward with your resoulutions? A simple honest conversation with yourself might yield some informative and helpful answers that will help lead you to success.
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Believe You Can Do It
Starting out assuming you'll fail will probably guarantee you will.
Believe you can achieve, whatever it is you set out to do, because you can!
You just need a plan.
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Look At Your Resolutions As A Goal Not As A Punishment
Most resolutions involve quitting some bad habit or getting rid of something that you couldn't live without.
Losing weight or taking a booze break feels like punishment when, in fact, you're the one who decided you should do it.
So see your resolution as a goal. It'll feel less punitive and more achievable, rather than remind you of a childhood punishment from Mom and Dad.
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Don't Over-Resolution Yourself
If you're an A-type personality, you may find you have a very long list of goals and resolutions. But you're probably not going to be able to achieve a huge task list for the year. So make sure you don't list yourself out of success.
Pick a few things you want to change or accomplish. There's always next year.
You don't have to do it all today.
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Set Specific Goals
The more specific you are about your goal, the easier it will be to achieve. Eating less meat is a great goal, but what does that really mean?
So be specific.
Maybe you're going to cut meat during the week and eat it only on the weekend? Or vice versa. The point is, give your resolutions some details, so they are easier to keep.
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Want It
Pick resolutions that are based on things you actually want, not what you think you should want. If you don't actually want to quit smoking, you probably won't.
But if you do really want to get in shape, you'll be more invested in making it happen.
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Get Some Tech Support
There's an app, device or gadget for nearly everything these days. See if there's some tech support that will help you on your resolution journey.
It'll make your resolutions more fun to achieve and probably a lot easier.
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Change Your Lifestyle At Least Temporarily
It's not hard to figure out that it's hard to achieve a goal if you keep doing the same things you were before.
So if you're trying to lose some pounds, you may want to cut those boozy girls' nights out for a while.
Instead, maybe you and the same crew meet at yoga instead of a heavy Italian meal that's the group's go-to.
And sometimes achieving a goal means changing your core group—at least for a while.
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Recruit Support
It's hard to do anything alone, but it's nearly impossible to do it if those close to you aren't as fully invested as you are.
So tell your family and your friends how to support you.
They probably don't know, and it'll be hard to keep your resolutions if you feel like they're constantly getting in your way.
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