Considering making, and actually keeping a New Year’s Resolution (or two)?

Here’s a few tips on what makes a solid resolution, and how to avoid the inner-turmoil of making fleeting plans, and wasting energy on resolutions that won’t pan out.

Another year is upon us…

…as is the time to create a new plan for improvement! New Year’s Eve is the common kick-starter for most people. The urge for self-improvement uses this celebration an a final excuse to do better! But the ultimate trick is to make a resolution worth keeping all year. It’s actually, a lot easier than most think.

Avoid “quick fixes” for bad habits

If your goal for the New Year is to cut back on sugar, then emptying the pantry of all the Christmas cookies is not going to work. Organization is a great goal, but if you’re already planning on buying all the shelves for that labyrinth of a hallway closet, you might wanna reconsider. Starting off with drastic, quick fixes is a bad way to start.

It might seem like a good idea to purge the kitchen for your new diet plan, but this quick fix isn’t exactly a good catalyst for change. Sure, the temptation of sweet snacks and bad foods is gone…for a little while. But until you make the conscious decision to avoid buying unhealthy foods, the purge is a moot point. Your pantry will refill, and your effort wasted.

If organization is a problem in your home, buying over-sized shelving options and boxes for little things, will only create a bigger problem if you don’t take the time to actually organize. The shelves won’t fill themselves…or even get themselves out of the box. Especially if you don’t have room for it.

Instead, focus that energy towards actual change – create meal plans specific to your needs, and stick to it! Clean out clutter before you buy things to store what you have left. Making the effort towards real change by actions, instead of just “buying something” or just “throwing away what you don’t want right now” isn’t intentional, and will allow the habit to come back.

Keep Resolutions Realistic

I’m not saying don’t attempt the impossible. But first, you should decide what’s important. Because there’s really no point in making a resolution you know you won’t keep.

Sure, we all want to save more money. But if you have no solid plans on cutting back luxuries, then you aren’t setting up anything for real change. If you have a weight loss goal in mind, this won’t be accomplished without proper diet and exercise( remember, there’s no magic pill or quick fix for this).

Losing 100lbs in the new year isn’t unrealistic – as long as you have a plan. But without any change, big or small, in your lifestyle, the goal isn’t as attainable. Same with finances – without cutting back on a few expenses, your chances of saving that extra money in the new year isn’t likely, unless you plan on making more money (or winning the lottery).

Keep your goals within what’s possible for you. And if your New Year’s Resolution is to spend less time on Netflix, and more time reading books, consider this. Cancel your subscription to one, and begin with another. Nothing changes unless you do.

Don’t compare your goals to others

For some, it’s human nature. It can be incredibly hard to opt out of the comparison game. Your Resolutions and Goals should just be that for you – and when you’re comparing your journey to others, you can end up going down the path of un-accomplishment.

Just because half your Mommy friends are signing up for that cycling class, doesn’t mean you have to – especially if it means spending money on a membership you won’t use, if you don’t have time. And if it’s just not in the cards to take more vacations in the New Year, then it’s simple. There’s no point in beating yourself up over something that deep down, you know you can’t do (for whatever reason).

There’s nothing wrong with your friend’s goals. Your family has some great resolution s of their own. But it’s theirs. And what might work for them, doesn’t have to work for you. You shouldn’t be feeling the pressure to create any new plans to go with a trend. This will only make you slightly commit to something you know either won’t work for you at this time, or even make you unmotivated to work towards it, because you didn’t really want it anyway. And Boom-six months later you’re right back not working on that goal, and wasting energy on a resolution that wasn’t going to pan out anyway.

[ctt template=”8″ link=”cGjrY” via=”yes” ]Remember, it’s your New Year’s Resolution. Do it for you. No one else[/ctt]

And if the goal for the new year is to not change a thing, that’s ok too. And that’s a resolution you can totally keep!