5 Tips for Sticking With Your New Years Resolutions in 2023
A New Year means a fresh chapter in life and a great opportunity to set new resolutions for 2023. Setting new goals is the easy part. Sticking to them is what poses a challenge for men and women of any age. The good news is that you can make and keep new resolutions as long as you set yourself up for success from the beginning. This blog discusses why it isn't easy to stick with goals and helpful tips to ensure success in keeping your New Year resolutions.
Why Is It Difficult To Stick To Resolutions And Tips to Sticking With It?
The most common reasons it is difficult to keep new resolutions include:
- Unrealistic goals - Making resolutions that are simply unattainable due to time constraints, money, or other factors.
- No plan - Behind every new goal is a plan to achieve it. A lack of planning makes it difficult to take the steps needed to stick with it.
- Inability to track progress - It's important to be able to monitor progress. For example, if you want to walk a certain distance every day, you need a way to track how far you are walking.
- Lack of a reason - You are far less likely to stick with a resolution if you don't know why you are doing it. It has to mean something to you. For example, maybe you want to exercise more to improve your health.
Achieving new resolutions typically means changing one or more habits, which are inherently challenging. However, with a little hard work, you can overcome these obstacles.
1. Make Realistic Goals
Ensure your resolutions are attainable. For example, let's say that you currently eat sweets daily but want to cut them out of your diet. It's probably not realistic to quit eating sweets cold turkey. Instead, begin by limiting yourself to eating sweets 3 or 4 days a week. You can slowly work your way to your ultimate goal.
2. Have A Plan
How are you going to achieve your new goal? Keeping with the example above of limiting sweets, think about how you will curb the cravings. Maybe keep fruit on hand or another alternative you enjoy. It is advisable to have a plan on hand for how you will change your behavior and keep from slipping back into old habits.
3. Know The "Why"
In order to be successful, new resolutions need to have meaning. Maybe achieving it will put you in a more secure financial place or improve your health. Dig deep and really think about why making this change is so important in your life.
4. Track Your Progress
It is important to quantify your progress throughout the year. For instance, keep a journal with daily entries of your behavior about your goal. Without tracking your progress, it is hard to see how well you are actually doing in achieving your goals.
5. Break Resolutions Into Smaller Pieces
Large goals can feel overwhelming and unobtainable. It's easy to become frustrated and give up. To ensure this doesn't happen, break big goals into smaller milestones so that you can see the progress you are making.
Bonus Tip: Have A Support System In Place
The most important tool for achieving new resolutions is having an accountability partner or support system in place. Having support will motivate you to keep moving forward toward your goals, hold you accountable for your progress, and help you every step of the way.
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