Ah, the New Year. You've finally decided to commit to a resolution and become a better version of yourself in 2023, but now you're wondering how exactly you will make that happen. We're here to help. Follow these simple steps, and before you know it, you'll be on your way to achieving your goal:
1. Start small.
The first thing you need to do is start small. Don’t go for the grandiose, lofty resolution; pick one thing you can do quickly that matters to you. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking—you want something that will get your toes wet to begin consistently developing the habit of doing it.
For example, if you want to eat healthier food but don’t know where or when to start, make small changes like bringing your lunch from home more often (and eating it at your desk). Or maybe instead of using credit cards all the time, set up an automatic transfer from each paycheck into savings account so that money is set aside before going out on an expensive shopping spree (and then use cash only).
If you are trying to learn new skills such as language learning, coding, or even playing an instrument, start by doing it once every week rather than trying every day right away!
2. Write it down.
This is the first and most crucial step to stick to your resolution because writing it down solidifies it in your mind and makes it real. If you want to lose weight, write down how much you want to lose and by when. Make sure this goal has no loopholes or ambiguities; otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for failure. For example, if your goal is “I want to lose 50 pounds by summer break,” then define what that means (i.e., losing 5 pounds each month). This will give you something concrete that can be measured against over time so that even if one month feels like nothing happened (which is normal), then at least moving forward from there will feel like progress!
Next, write out steps on how best to achieve this goal with an achievable timeline attached for each step along with realistic goals for each milestone along the way: “Week 1: Workout three times per week; Week 2: Workout four times per week; Week 3: Workout five times per week, etc.” You can also include how many calories/minutes of exercise are needed per day or week depending on what works best for achieving success within a specific timeframe - remember, though, sometimes even small changes make significant differences, so don't be discouraged if starting slow seems daunting! Committing these things into a paper like a contract between yourself and future-you will help keep both sides accountable, thus preventing procrastination from occurring later down the line."
3. Be accountable.
The first step to sticking to your New Year's resolution is being accountable. If you want to keep up with your weight loss or meditation practice, ensure that others know what you're trying to do. This might mean telling friends and family members about your goal, posting it on social media, or even conversing with a coworker or classmate who shares similar fitness goals.
The next step is finding an accountability partner who will encourage and support you throughout the year in achieving your goal. This could be someone from work, a spouse or significant other, or even just someone from class (you know those people!) who has been working out for years and knows what they're doing regarding fitness. You should never feel bad about asking for help; if anything encourages us more than knowing there's another person out there who also wants this goal met!
4. Reward yourself.
When you reach a goal or accomplish something small, reward yourself. This can be as simple as a nice meal at your favorite restaurant or even just buying something you have wanted for awhile. It doesn't need to be anything significant, but the point of this is to help keep you motivated and remind yourself that it's okay if, on some days, things don't go perfectly according to plan. You will still get there eventually!
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Please don't go overboard with rewards, though, don't make them too extravagant, or else you might end up spending more than what's necessary on them (or worse, going into debt). Remember that the goal is not simply to spend money to feel good about ourselves - it's ultimately about changing our lifestyles to be healthier and happier, so try not to overdo it with those rewards!
5. Be prepared for failure.
No matter how much you plan and prepare, there will be days when everything goes wrong. That’s okay! It happens to the best of us. Instead of beating yourself up about it and throwing in the towel, take a step back and ask yourself what you can learn from your slip-up. Did you forget something important? Did your work get interrupted by an unexpected phone call or email? What was going on in your life that may have distracted you from your goal at that time? Once you figure out what went wrong, write down what caused the problem, so it doesn’t happen again. Then move forward with confidence, knowing that even if things don't go smoothly all the time, they will eventually fall into place if we keep working hard!
You can do it!
It is possible to stick to your new year's resolution. While it may seem daunting, setting realistic goals is the first step toward achieving them.
We hope these steps help you to make the most of your New Year’s resolution. Remember, the key is to take it slow and steady, be patient with yourself, and don’t get discouraged if things don’t always go smoothly. By sticking with your goals for a long enough time, you'll see results that will keep you motivated!