Every December, New Years rolls around – a holiday of long-celebrated traditions such as staying up until midnight, partying with friends or family, and watching the ball drop in Times Square. One of the oldest New Year’s rituals, however, is one that can be traced back nearly 4,000 years: New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are goals set by individuals to improve themselves going into the new year, such as working out, saving money, quitting a bad habit, etc. While a good idea in theory, sticking to these goals is often easier said than done, and can have the opposite intended effect. Setting achievable goals for oneself is a skill not only beneficial when making a New Year’s resolution, but key for life in general, and there are three proven strategies to aid in this process.
Be Specific
One of the most common issues with resolutions is the vagueness of them; For example, saying something like “I want to work out more” is an unclear goal. It might make sense in the moment, but when it comes time to actually execute it, the unspecificity can be overwhelming. To make things less complicated, ask yourself why? Why do you want to work out more, and what do you hope to accomplish from it? Say, you want to improve your performance in your sport, or lose weight, or just feel more confident about yourself – this already helps in narrowing down your ideas and making it easier to start.
Be Realistic
Once a clear goal has been set, it is important to not get too carried away. In the excitement and optimism of New Year’s Eve, it is easy to set resolutions that are near impossible in retrospect. While anything can be accomplished if you want it enough, claiming on New Year’s Eve that you are going to “go to the gym every day next year” or anything else along those lines is just a recipe for failure. Not anticipating obstacles in your plan is one of the most common mistakes. It can be easy to say that you will go to the gym every day, but actually executing this and sticking with it can be exhausting and overwhelming, especially for a beginner. Such a drastic change in your schedule leads to burnout quickly. Achievable goals make progress visible sooner, boosting confidence and motivating you to keep going.
Start Small
Similarly, achievable, realistic goals are often little victories. Most resolutions require time and patience, and to not get frustrated during this process is a difficult task. Breaking down your resolutions into smaller parts makes them less intimidating. For someone who is a beginner at the gym, for example, just working out for thirty minutes is a huge accomplishment. As the year goes on, it becomes easier to slowly increase your time spent there (while also remembering to give yourself grace periods!). It is important to remember that big things have small beginnings.
Simplifying your goals simplifies the execution. With New Years around the corner, remember to be kind to yourself when it comes to your resolutions. It is easy to get discouraged when things don’t work out exactly the way you planned, but progress isn’t made without bumps in the road – believe in yourself, and good luck!
