New Year’s can be an exciting time: full of hope when it comes to the unknown year that lies ahead. However, New Year’s can also be a time for making unreasonable or unsupported goals. Maybe this year can be different. Whether your goal is to lose weight, change up your look, or do some household renovations, go into 2021 with a plan.
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1.Create a measurable goal
There’s no better feeling than checking something off your list or reaching a goal that feels out of reach. However, in order to reach your goal, you need to phrase your goals in an achievable manner.
Instead of creating a vague resolution like “I want to be healthier,” or “I want to learn more,” you need to create a way to measure these goals. Think specifically and create goals like, “I want to make a healthy dinner three nights a week,” or “I want to read two books a month.” By setting a specific goal, you know exactly what you have to do to reach it. 2. Make a plan
In order to reach your goals, you’ll need a plan. If you want to eat healthier, you’re going
to need to decide what you’re going to eat for your meals everyday.
You can’t achieve your goals without creating a plan. Sometimes this means buying the appropriate gear or tools. If you want to spend more time in nature, you’re going to need the best shoes for hiking. If you’re going to practice yoga, you’ll need a yoga mat. 3. Prepare yourself for the whole process
While the start of your goals can seem exciting as you dive into your journey, prepare for some loss of motivation along the way. Make it easy for yourself to maintain your goals; make your bad habits difficult and make your good habits easy. Hide the cookies where you can’t reach them. Always keep your gym bag packed so you have no good reason not to go. 4. Expect the unexpected
As you can guess, the process of reaching a goal is never easy. There will always be obstacles and temptations trying to get in your way. How are you going to stand up to these obstacles?
It will be easier to overcome obstacles if you have a plan to face them. Before you start working towards your New Year’s resolution, sit down and make a plan. Once you have a plan, you’ll be able to prepare yourself for any temptations that come your way. 5. Resolutions don’t need to start on January 1st
Start working towards your resolution when you are ready. While January 1st may be the most popular day for New Year’s resolutions to start, this doesn’t have to be the only day to start working on your resolution.
It’s most important to start your resolution on the right foot. If you start in the middle of January or in the beginning of May, just make sure that you are committed to your goal and the journey needed to achieve it. 6. Keep track of your progress
Visual trackers can be your friend throughout your goal. It’s helpful to be able to visualize your progress. Whether it be a spreadsheet, a graph, or a calendar, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come.
There are even goal tracking apps out there to help you track your progress throughout the process. However, just remember that progress is never a straight line. You will have your ups and downs along the way. 7. Mistakes are part of the process
While making mistakes can feel like you’re failing, keep in mind that mistakes are part of the learning process. When you make a mistake, don’t let yourself give up. Instead, learn from your mistake and keep moving forward.
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It’s a common finding that people often give up on their New Year’s resolution after two weeks into the new year. However, by keeping these words of advice in mind, you can continue on carrying your goals even past 2021.
