Save money? Check. Eat healthy? Check. Stop procrastinating? Check. Sounds pretty simple, right? Creating a New Year’s resolution is a fairly standard protocol in most people’s lives. It is common to hear individuals state that they are waiting for the new year to develop a new habit, live a better lifestyle or merely try new things. This way of thinking sets people up for procrastination in the future and creates a cycle of making promises to oneself that will never be lived up to. Simple behaviours and practices like rewarding oneself, charting progress and being realistic can offer a new perspective, increase motivation and help stick to a New Year’s goal.
Ignore the Negativity
People are always going to find a way to bring others down. May it be on a recent social media post or in real life, individuals in society inflict their negativity onto others. It is so important to stick with people who will encourage and support personal and professional goals and stay away from those who downplay a person’s success. Putting oneself in an environment filled with reassurance and inspiration will lead to self-improvement, motivation and achievement. Though constant positivity is unrealistic, being in an encouraging and uplifting atmosphere can increase the likelihood of success.
Find a Balance
Following through with a goal means facing a variety of challenges. Forcing oneself to make enormous changes can cause a relapse and unhealthy behaviours. For example, going on a diet doesn’t mean eliminating any and all sugary or junk foods. This type of behaviour can lead to binge eating due to stress or even forced starvation to live up to unrealistic goals. It’s important to find a balance between what one is trying to accomplish and how to accomplish it. To do this, creating an appropriate schedule to maintain and track goals can help reduce stress and assist in staying on track.
Chart Progress
To maintain goals, charting progress can help to stay on track and contribute to self-motivation. Simple tracking methods can be done in a Notes app or in a journal. For example, if a New Year’s resolution is to cook a new meal every week, a good idea would be to write down recipes that you find throughout the week and then after trying the recipe, write down some thoughts about it. This technique can also help to be realistic about goals and flexible in how they are achieved.
Reward Oneself
Turning larger and more difficult tasks into smaller, shorter to-do lists can be a simple way to stay on track. This process can be motivating and can bring an individual one step closer to future achievement. Rewarding smaller accomplishments also involves taking accountability for one’s actions and this can lead to self-reflection and reassurance to continue committing to certain goals.
Thank you for reading! All New Year’s resolutions take effort and motivation, but the most important aspect is passion. The only way to achieve a goal is to have a proactive mindset, and simple behaviours like rewards, progress tracking and being in a positive environment can help accomplish this.