How to keep your New Year’s Resolution

It’s the almost the beginning of the year and it’s time to start making our list of resolutions. If you are like me, your resolutions last about 2 weeks or so and then you are back to your old habits. Making changes to your daily routine can be extremely challenging so here are some of the top tips to make your New Year’s Resolutions a success.

Focus on Just One Resolution

It is okay to make a list of many different resolutions. We all have many things that we would like to change or improve in our daily habits. While you might have a long list of New Year's Resolutions, you should pick just one and focus your energies on it rather than spreading yourself too thin among several different goals. Make the list and try to work on all of them, but choose just one to be your biggest objective.

Don't Wait Until the Last Minute

Making changes or breaking habits is not an easy process and can take time. Experts suggest that you should spend some time planning how you will tackle a major behavior change. Start by writing down your goals, make a list of what you need to change to meet that goal, and make a note of any obstacles that may stand in your way.

Start with Small Steps

Taking on too much is a common reason’s why so many New Year's Resolutions fail. Suddenly changing your diet, killing yourself at the gym, or drastically altering your normal behavior is a sure-fire way to throw you off your goal. Instead, focus on taking tiny steps that will ultimately help you reach your end goal. For example, if you want to change your eating habits start by cutting out your nightly dessert, rather than cutting out sugar altogether. You will become more likely to succeed if your steps are small and reachable.

Avoid Repeating Past Failures

Another strategy for keeping your New Year's Resolution is to not make the exact same resolution year after year. If your goals are still the same from last year, then you need to change your approach. Ask yourself, what was so hard about this goal last year? Why was I not able to keep my resolution? Then brainstorm how you can change your approach and be more successful this year.

Remember That Change Is a Process

Those unhealthy habits that you are trying to change probably took years to develop, so how can you expect to change them overnight? It may take longer than you would ideally like to achieve your goals, but remember that this is not a race. You are only in competition with yourself and any win, small or large, is a win. Once you have made the commitment to change a behavior, it is something that you will continue to work on for the rest of your life.

Don't Let Small Stumbles Bring You Down

Encountering a setback is one of the most common reasons why people give up on their New Year's Resolutions. If you suddenly relapse into a bad habit, don't think of it as a failure and give up. There are always going to be challenges, but you can choose to view them as learning opportunities and improve on the next try.

Get Support from Your Friends and Family

You've probably heard this advice a million times, but that is because the buddy system works! Having a support system is key to your success. Fill your friends and family in on your goals and enlist their help to reach those goals. You can even put together a group with friends who have goals of their own and you can all work together.

Renew Your Motivation

During the first days of the New Year, you will probably feel confident and highly motivated to reach your goals. However, at some point you will feel challenged while trying to keep your resolution. Use that time to remind yourself why you set the goals and why it is important for you to reach them. Keeping a journal of your feelings and challenges can help you to deal with those thoughts and turn them into motivation to keep going. If your strategy for achieving your goal is continuing to produce challenges, then change you approach. Remember that reaching your goal is a process and you may have to try different strategies before you find the one that works best for you.