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Wellness

How to Actually Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Ringing in the new year is a time to reflect on what you have accomplished and what you would like to improve on. However, plenty of people set goals for themselves and end up losing motivation or forgetting about the important goals they had set for themselves. To counter that, I have come up with several tips and tricks to help you stay motivated throughout the year to achieve those 2020 goals. Once the end of the year comes around, hopefully you can look back and be pleased with your progress.

Think of all the goals that you have for yourself this year

At the very start of the year, reflect on your past year and think about all the things that you wish you had achieved or whatever you would like to improve about yourself to live your best life. If it is something that you have tried to achieve in the past but failed to, remember to never give up on that goal because finally surpassing it or achieving it will be all the more satisfying.

Keep in mind that you should be realistic with your goals

One thing that happens a lot when people make their new year’s resolutions is they make goals that are not realistic. For instance, wanting to lose twenty pounds in a month is not healthy for your body and is not a good way to reach your end goal. Instead, make goals that are feasible, so you won’t feel like you failed if you are not able to achieve them by the end of the year.

Make a list of your goals

Once you have all the resolutions narrowed down, whether they were previous goals or new goals you want to set for yourself, make sure to write them down somewhere you can see them frequently. It can be anywhere, such as on a piece of paper or on your phone, wherever works the best for you as long as you’ll see it often. Having your goals written out will allow you to look back at what you want to achieve and make sure that you continue to stay motivated. Another great part about writing down your goals in the moment is that it will help you later on to remember why you set those goals for yourself and why they are important to you.

Create a check point date for each goal

In order to make sure that you are continually making progress, you should create check points throughout the year to see your progress. This will keep your resolutions on the forefront of your mind and help you stay on the right path.

Keep track of your progress

You will then be able to track your progress by making sure you hit each check point, which will ultimately lead you to achieving your end goals. There are plenty of ways to keep track of your progress, such as keeping a journal, planner or calendar or even setting phone reminders for daily or routine tasks.

Reward yourself with something fun

My favorite trick would definitely be making sure to reward yourself every time you reach a check point goal because it will get you excited about achieving these goals. It’s the best way to ensure you stay motivated. Make sure to reward yourself with something a little extra if you reach a big milestone in achieving your end goals. For example, if you love pampering yourself, you could go get your nails done, or if you’re a foodie, you could reward yourself with your favorite meal.

Keep a positive mind and forget about your past tries

Don’t forget that growing takes time, and some things aren’t attainable in the short span of a year. Work hard for what you want, but don’t lose yourself in it. There’s always a new year for new resolutions.

Ashlyn received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida in 2021.