Are you sticking to your new year resolutions?
We've all done it before... we have all set these amazing New Year Resolutions for ourselves and then just a couple weeks later fall back to our old routines. It happens! Change is hard! Now that we are a couple of weeks into the new year, now is when maintaining those new resolutions starts to get tough! Don't let this happen to you this year!
Here are 6 tips to stick with your 2020 goals:
1. Have goals for the year rather than resolutions
Resolutions are good, however, if not made correctly, they can set you up for failure. Most of the time, achieving your New Year objectives is much more challenging than just making a resolution or commitment to yourself. It is an ongoing process that is full of challenges and setbacks.
Carla Howard, keynote speaker and owner of The Professional Woman's Mentor says, "Ditching the New Year's Resolution tradition and creating New Year's Goals instead will result in more progress, satisfaction, and motivation. Here's why:
- New Year's Resolutions tend to be big changes that we want to make in our lives, without a plan or support in place to help us get there.
- There is a "Pass / Fail" mentality for New Year's Resolutions.
- Goals are achieved through small steps, which makes them much more achievable.
- We give ourselves credit for progress with goals... we admonish ourselves when we aren't perfect with resolutions.
Soooo... to see more progress on the important things that you want to accomplish, let go of creating New Year's Resolutions and enjoy the journey of achieving your goals."
2. Put your goals in writing
For those of you who read our blog often, this should be a no brainer by now! Putting your goals in writing will help you get clarity on what you want and how to get there. It will help you hold yourself accountable, track your progress, and visually see what you are working towards. Putting your goals on paper has consistently shown to improve your chances of achieving them. If you want to read more about the benefits of putting your goals on paper, check out 15 Ways Writing Your Goals Helps Your Achieve More.
3. Focus on the habits and make sure they align with your long-term vision
With any goal you set, try to break it down into the simplest behavior that will get you there. What are the new habits you need to form that will consistently move you in the direction of your goal? If your goal is to lose weight, this habit could as simple as packing a healthy lunch every day. Keep in mind, one of the most important aspects in achieving your goal will be consistency... will you be able to maintain this habit for years to come.
Online fitness and mindset coach, Celeste Rains-Turk, says, "Ask yourself if the approach you are taking to achieve the goal you have is something you can see yourself doing 10 years from now. If you can’t see yourself persisting with the habits for years to come, don’t force yourself into it now. For example, if you decide to go on a low-carb diet because you think it is necessary to achieve fat loss goals, but you don’t see yourself passing up on cookies next holiday season, I would say you need to go for a more sustainable and moderate approach."
Whatever your goal is, break it down into the simplest behavior you can realistically do every day. This will guarantee you are constantly getting closer and closer to your goal each day.
4. Don't beat yourself up
One of the often reasons people fail on their new year resolutions is that they make a mistake a couple of days in, so they just give up. It sounds crazy, but oftentimes people give up that easily!
Author, speaker, and podcaster, Meredith Atwood, says, "it's vital to not be so hard on yourself. Don't allow a mean voice to pipe up with "who do you think you are" or "you'll never do this"--quiet those voices! Remember that you are attempting to change, and change is hard! You picked these resolutions for a reason--and that reason is to better your life. Don't give up on yourself. Setbacks are part of growth. You will "fail." You will "struggle." Learn to make peace with those thoughts, and pick yourself up and continue going. Finally, be flexible in your approach. Don't be afraid to try new things in furtherance of your goals. You are allowed to change the approach and method to make your goals work for you. After all, you are the reason for these goals and dreams. Never forget that it's your life and your time to be the best version of yourself."
5. Create a visual reminder
Another larger reason people lose track of their new year resolutions is that they simply forget about them! Have you ever written down something you wanted to accomplish, and then months later find it and think, "wow, I completely forgot I wanted to do that." Don't let this happen to you this year! A great way to prevent this is to make visual reminders. If you want to lose weight, hang your skinny pair of jeans you are working towards in your room! Make the background of your phone a picture of the vacation you want to take or write your target income on a post-it on your mirror. Keep your goals in front of you! It will help remind yourself daily why you are working so hard and why you are making the sacrifices necessary to achieve your goals.
6. Share your goals with someone
Having a good accountability partner is often the make it or break it for people. Try and find someone you trust who will help hold you accountable to follow through on your goal. It often helps if you are both working towards a similar goal. For example, find someone else who is wanting to get in shape this year and start going to the gym together. Or tell your boss about your sales goal for the year... tell people who can help and motivate you to get there.
However, remember that there may be people you DON'T want to tell your goals to. You do not want to tell someone your goals who may talk them down, or tell you that you can't achieve them. So be careful, and make sure anyone you are sharing your goals with will help you get there.
Get to it!
Put your goals in writing, make a plan, and get started TODAY! If you haven't put your goals for 2020 in writing yet, check out the GoalCrazy 90 Day planner. It can help you get clarity on your goals and how you will get there. More importantly, it provides you with an easy way to track your progress and hold yourself accountable to take action daily. You can learn more below