The start of a new year is associated with a fresh slate and new beginnings. It’s also the time of year when people traditionally make resolutions to accomplish personal goals, make lifestyle adjustments, build better habits, and to overall commit to improving their lives in the upcoming new year.
Below are some examples of the most common resolutions people make:
• Exercise more/ lose weight
• Eat healthier
• Save money
• Quit smoking and/or drinking
• Read more
• Learn a new skill/hobby
• Spend more time with family and friends
However, trying to achieve your goals can be challenging and many people often have difficulty sticking to their New Year’s resolutions. We listed tips below to help you stay on track and achieve your goals:
Start small and make short-term goals
It could be difficult to adjust to sudden and drastic life changes. Big changes may feel overwhelming and make you feel less motivated to continue. We recommend starting with small steps and taking it one day at a time. Also, making short-term goals within your long-term goals can be very helpful. Research indicates that accomplishing short-term goals often make people more likely to stay driven over time and continue reaching for their long-term goals.
Keep track of your progress
Make a daily or weekly checklist to keep track of all your goals. We recommend having a monthly habit tracker and ticking off your daily progress. This is a great way to monitor your progress and make any needed adjustments. Seeing your progress could also help encourage you to keep your momentum going and continue making daily strides toward your goals.
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see quick results
A perceived lack of progress can be frustrating, however don’t be discouraged if things don’t go your way. Progress isn’t continuously linear and obstacles along the way shouldn’t prevent you from achieving your goals. Setbacks are a normal part of life and perseverance is key; Stay at your own pace and go slowly as long as you’re continually making progress and don’t give up on your goals.
Shift your mindset
It helps to avoid thinking of something as a chore or as just another “task” that needs to be completed. Instead, change your mindset and envision how you want to see yourself and think of the reasons why you wanted to accomplish your goal in the first place.