We’ve officially hit December which means 2023 is finally coming to a close. Many of us probably began the year with a long list of resolutions of things we wanted to change, but if you’re anything like me, none of them survived longer than a week. According to Harvard Medical School, there are seven easy steps you can take to make your 2023 new years resolutions stick. Whether it’s learning a new skill or quitting an old habit, following this guide can help you find the motivation within yourself to prevent getting burnt out and instead push yourself to new heights and surprise yourself with your progress.
- Don’t be afraid to be ambitious
According to Harvard Health’s review, the first and arguably the most important step to creating the right resolutions for yourself is to dream big. According to Harvard, the most daring goals are also the most inspiring. Use your ambition to ignite your fire and set out on your journey.
- Break your goals down into achievable steps
Take your big dreams and break them down into easier to swallow steps that can be tackled one at a time. Don’t forget the little steps that can build up the confidence we need to push through our whole goal. Harvard recommends beginning our goals with those simple tasks that we usually ignore because they seem trivial. Starting your goal plan with something as simple as “create a schedule” can give you the first foot in the door needed to encourage you to continue your progress.
- Figure out why making this change is important
Another important step in defining your goals is figuring out why exactly you want to accomplish them. What about your previous way of living do you want to change? What will this new goal bring into your life? What will it leave out? Weigh the pros and cons of working towards this change and be realistic with yourself about what it will entail. Defining the intention behind your goal can help you ensure it’s something you are truly motivated to accomplish.
- Hold yourself accountable
Perhaps one of the most familiar pieces of advice when it comes to goal setting, Harvard emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for your goals by holding yourself accountable for getting each step done. Write down your goal in a place that you will see often, express it to a friend or family member, or find a group of like minded individuals who share similar goals. Take actions to inspire yourself to push through with your goal even when you’re not feeling like it in order to remind yourself why you set out to achieve that goal in the first place.
- Reward yourself
Don’t wait until you’ve reached the end goal to pat yourself on the back. Setting out on the goal in the first place, as well as all the little steps that follow deserve recognition on their own. Stop yourself along the way and remind yourself of the power of your progress.
- Understand the past
Take a look at your old goals, what caused certain dreams to be successful and others to fade? Every time you give it your best shot, whether you get the outcome you want or not, a lesson can be learned. When you miss your own personal mark, don’t see it as a failure, rather a sign to rethink how you are going to reach your goal.
- Give yourself grace
You’re human. Don’t aim for perfection, aim for a stronger version of yourself. Prepare for slip ups and mistakes, and forgive yourself for them. Don’t expect the process to go perfectly as planned- be ready to adapt. And when you do reach part of your goal, no matter how small, applaud yourself. You are one step closer to the result you want to achieve. Find the little wins in what you do and give yourself thanks.