As the year comes to a close, many of us are starting to compile a list of New Year’s Resolutions. “New Year, new me” posts will suddenly flood our social media news feeds. The problem I see is not in setting the resolutions but rather in accomplishing them. In order to set myself up for success, and hopefully help some of you in the process here are some tips for getting your goals/resolutions to stick:
- Be realistic. I can’t stress this one enough. It’s easy to write down “get to high school weight”. The problem with this goal is that it’s not a firm number, doesn’t give a specific timeline, and will cause you a lot of anxiety.
- Start small. Make goals or resolutions that can be accomplished in a short period of time or without a exhaustive effort. Starting things small will help build your “goal setting” confidence.
- Keep it short. Don’t make a list of 25 things, try 2 or 3 goals and really work at them.
- Enlist some help. Share your resolutions with friends or family. They can be that nagging you need to push you over the edge and get your goals accomplished. Telling someone else makes you accountable.
- Check back regularly. Review your list of goals or resolutions throughout the year. Are you on track? Checking back regularly will ensure that your goals are still realistic and will help steer you back in the right direction if you find yourself veering off track.