How to stick to your New Year Resolutions

Making resolutions at the beginning of the year is a great way to start a fresh chapter, which is why so many people do it. The start of a new year often feels like a fresh start, another chance to break bad habits and develop new ones. Unfortunately, more than half of all resolutions fail, let’s change that in 2023.

The following tips will help you in doing so.  

1. Small Goals

If you want to get into reading books, do not set a goal of finishing 100 books this year; a book or two in a month would do. You may be enthusiastic about your goals right now, but don’t let this push you to impossibly high standards. Start by breaking down the bigger goals into smaller achievable steps. When you are clear on what you need to do, it is easier to hold yourself accountable and stay committed to a goal.

• Make a plan

Achieving any goal requires making informed choices and this can be done through extensive planning. Without a proper plan, you can easily find yourself giving up when you encounter any kind of challenge or setback. Create a detailed plan and consider what tactics you will use to overcome challenges.

• Limit your resolutions

While you might have a long list of potential New Year’s resolutions, it is better to pick a few and focus all your energies on them rather than spreading yourself too thin. Focusing and achieving one goal at a time can boost your self-confidence and help you strive for more.

• Reward Yourself

People frequently forget to enjoy the process because they are so preoccupied with the difficulties that come with it. Take a moment to celebrate your progress to motivate yourself to keep going. It also helps to create a support system who are aware of your goals and encourage you along the way.  

• Learn from the past

This may not be your first attempt at New Year’s Resolutions, so spend some time evaluating your previous results to not repeat the mistakes again. Consider every missed opportunity to change as a step closer to your objective. Sincere attempts indicate lessons learned. Make small tweaks to make your resolution more attainable. 

Remember That Change Is a Process

The unhealthy habits that you are trying to change now probably took years to develop, so don’t expect to completely alter them in just a matter of days. “Bad habits can cut you down just as easily as good habits can build you up”, so in 2023 let’s work towards building these habits and sticking to them.

Written by: Jathin Arava