How to Make New Year Resolutions and Stay Motivated to Keep Them

How to Make New Year Resolutions and Stay Motivated to Keep Them

What a year 2020 has been for all of us! And as this year comes to a close, it’s natural to turn our thoughts to 2021 and to consider what things we can do to change our lives for the better. It’s time to get ready for a new year and a brand new you!

Many busy people like yourself want to make New Years resolutions. The trick is in figuring out ways to stay motivated so you actually keep them. Here are some tips on sticking with the resolutions you make for 2021.

1. Pick One Thing You Want to Change

One problem many individuals run into is that they put too many things on their New Year resolutions list. For better results, look at all of the things you want to accomplish and then pick the one thing you truly want to change the most. Pick that one and stick to it.

2. Plan For Success

identify the resources you will need to achieve your goals

If you don’t plan to succeed, there are many who would say you are actually planning to fail. Identify the resources you will need to achieve your goals. For example, this might mean taking a night class to develop or improve skills, or joining a gym to meet a weight loss goal.

3. Anticipate Problems and Limit Your Expectations

When drafting a New Year resolutions list, you can’t expect that you’ll be able to anticipate all of the potential problems you may run into in 2021, but do your best to think of what could go wrong. With more realistic expectations, you are more likely to succeed.

4. Pick a Start Date and Go for It!

pick a start date for a solid plan

One sign that you have a solid plan is that you have an actual starting date. Mark it on your calendar and announce to family and friends what your intentions are. When you say a plan out loud, it grounds your efforts in reality. Everyone knows you said you plan to exercise 4 times a week now, or that you are going to quit smoking on the first Monday of the new year. It will be harder to ignore a resolution if a lot of people know about it.

5. Accept Failures and Treat Them as a Learning Experience

Recognize there are bound to be some setbacks, even when you have the best intentions. Instead of beating yourself up about failures, see what you can learn from them. Then, adjust your behavior accordingly.

6. Plan Rewards for Encouragement

Reward yourself to stay motivated

A great way to motivate yourself to keeping New Year resolutions is to give yourself a reward. This could be a weekend getaway after quitting a filthy habit for 3 months, or getting yourself a present after meeting a weight loss target.

We know that things can get to be especially hectic toward the end of the year when there are holiday celebrations to organize while still taking care of work duties and your family. Coming up with realistic New Year resolutions and a plan to actually stick with them will be an excellent way for you to begin 2021!

2 thoughts on “How to Make New Year Resolutions and Stay Motivated to Keep Them

  1. Rachel says:

    Happy new year, Kylie!! Totally agree with no. 3. One thing I learned from years of planning is to limit your expectations. Planning and setting up expectations is the easiest part but it’s always not easy to walk the thought since there will always be unforeseen circumstances. I felt that by setting my expectations lower than what I really expect makes it easier to follow the plan and less stressful.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *