Having trouble with your New Year’s resolutions? Here's how to make them stick

For every new year that comes around, many of us make plans to ring it in with resolutions for how we want the year to pan out. These resolutions could be to lose weight, become more outgoing and productive, dismantle worrisome thoughts, cease addictive habits, and much more.

It's always a good thing to make resolutions and plans to make better changes in your life. However, when the goals that we set for ourselves aren't accomplished within that year, it can make us feel really bad about ourselves. How can you go about setting goals that'll not only boost your confidence but stick with you throughout the new year? It would be best to create new habits by realizing what isn't working for you.

Now don't get me wrong, creating new habits can take some time, especially if you are a habitual person. But recognizing that this might not happen overnight can still help you understand there could be moments that are still enjoyable in a short amount of time, as long as you remind yourself you can obtain whatever you want in life.

Check out the following steps that have worked for me to achieve the best possible outcomes that you envision for yourself in the new year and years to come.

Reach for the stars and dream big

Never be afraid to reach for the stars no matter how far of a reach a goal may be! The more ambitious you are with your goals, the more inspiration you will place within yourself and the people around you. Show perseverance that is so infectious, it's hard for people to not be happy to help in any way they can. At the end of the day, support for anything anyone does is encouraging.

person holding book Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Create checkpoints for yourself

When there are so many things you want to accomplish, it can be discouraging trying to figure out where to start. Some of us on the other hand might not have an issue accomplishing bigger tasks. If you do face difficulty, break the goals into tiny checkpoints. These checkpoints will move you further towards the ultimate goal you want for yourself. When you do that, it will help boost your confidence and motivate you to continue pushing through because things are being done.

Motivation is key, my friends!

Understand that it's OK not to make a change if you are not ready

Are you serious? I sure am! Until you make sense of and have a grasp of why you're sticking to old habits, and routines that may or may not be serving you, it can be hard to really make a change. In considering the changes you want to make, really think about it. Success is more probable when the pros outweigh the cons in adopting behaviors that not only sound better, but feel better than the old way of doing things. On the other hand, you can always enjoy the things that may not be the best for you, without actually engaging in the behavior. For example, if you like to relax and smoke, you are more than welcome to relax, but find a healthier alternative to add to the relaxation.

Set goals for yourself and commit to them

Hold yourself accountable by writing down your goals in your favorite planner or notebook or verbally communicating them to people that mean the world to you. Not only will that encourage you to push through, but you can also feel so much better about yourself when you do start to embark on the path you want to be on. If you need more support, you can also post about your New Year's resolutions on social media, or find online support groups with people that have a similar mindset as you.

Learning from things that didn't work in the past

If you ever fail to make the change, it's still a step in the right direction. How is that possible though? Because each step, crawl and attempt to reach whatever you desire signifies a learning moment. Anytime you hit a blockage, just take a second to internalize what happened, why it didn't work, and what can we do to make this transition better. For example, if you feel that the goal of doing an hour workout at the gym is a little hard to do when your days get busy, break it up by doing a 15- 20 minute workout here and there or whatever you feel inclined to do.

Appreciate how far you've come, regardless if it's minor

Nevermind being "perfect". As long as you've set a goal and are working towards making it fully come to fruition. If you had plans to work out for an hour on a particular day or read a couple of chapters in that new book you just started, but you only read for 30 minutes or read one chapter, you'll still be on the right path. Remember, anything you do is better than doing nothing at all, so give yourself a pat on the back. You've earned that right.

This article is reflective of the author's opinions.

Have you got something to say about this subject? Submit a post here and start the conversation.