Each new year, everyone starts to fill up their journal with New Year’s resolutions. Full of excitement and joy people write down their aspirations in their daily life, ambitious goals they hope to achieve in their professional career or academic life, or big plans that would change their life, society around them. Anything from eating healthy, going to the gym, socializing more, getting a promotion or all A, to creating a charitable organization could all be one of your resolutions. But let’s be honest, out of millions of individuals how many will be crossing the line through after they accomplish their yearly goals? If you are one of those who have big goals struggling to put them into practice, do not give up! Here are some recommendations I figured out after failing for years.
-
Know what you can do
When choosing a resolution, be aware of your limits. Do not force yourself to do things you just cannot do realistically. Consider the time you can investigate and the energy or motivation you will have in long term. Make a resolution that you can genuinely achieve without stressing out too much. If you have never been to the gym regularly, set your objective to going to the gym at least twice a week, not every day.
-
Start small
In everything you do, there are steps. No one is born to be an expert, everyone without exception starts as a beginner and works their way through. Do not expect you will wake up and be a whole different person just because a new year has started. Set a goal that you can start without any pressure and adjust it as a habit that you can keep forever. Begin from there and slowly add more. Remember that New Year will come back, this year is not your only chance.
-
Keep track of your progress
Some resolutions people tend to make may not show instant results. That does not mean that you are doing it wrong or failing it. Without any notable change, it can easily demotivate you. Keep track of your constant progress with accomplishments regardless of how big or small. Through recording them, whenever you get discouraged you can go back and see how far you have come.
-
Do not be scared to change your plan
Sometimes people can overestimate themselves or their situations. Already halfway through February, many will be in the crossroad to either give up or continue with their plan. If any of those resolutions you made are overwhelming, do not hesitate to alter them. Based on your experience of January, feel free to change if needed. Always remember that the ultimate goal of New Year’s resolution is to improve your life in the long term, so be consistent.
If you have already listed all of your resolutions, look back on past weeks on your progress, and if you still have not decided, fill them out before February passes. New Year’s resolutions do not have to be anything big, it can be small. If it can bring positive change to your life, don’t hesitate to start!