5 Ways to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

By Tamiera Vandegrift on January 6, 2018

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner! Another year has ended and it’s time to gear up for everything next year has in store. New Year’s is the season of glowing sparklers and champagne fountains (if you’re old enough!), but it’s best known for being a time of self-improvement. New Year’s Eve is the time to make and maintain a good, strong list of promises and resolutions that you can bring into the new year. However, it’s not always as easy as it looks. Statistics show that less than 10% of people actually stick with their New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s due to forgetfulness, laziness, or some other third thing, keeping a New Year’s resolution is a big challenge. The end of the year is rapidly approaching and it’s time to make a big change and a big difference. Keep reading for ways to hold yourself accountable this New Year’s Eve! Here are a few tips on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions this year.

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Choose Wisely

New Year’s Eve is meant to be a time of reflection on the past year and a time to think about new ways to implement positive changes in all of our lives. It can be tempting to bite off more than you can chew when making a resolution because often, the holiday can be interpreted as a catalyst for a complete lifestyle change. While making huge changes certainly isn’t discouraged, it’s important to make sure that the resolutions you set in place are realistic too. For instance, instead of making it a resolution to save $1000 or making a plan to go mountain climbing every weekend, make it a resolution to put aside a few dollars every week or go to the park every weekend. When making resolutions, choose something that you can live with over the course of 365 days.

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Start Small

The key to holding onto your New Year’s resolutions is starting small and managing a plan for success. Take the larger goal and break it up into smaller, more manageable bits. For instance, if your resolution is to get into shape, make a plan to exercise two or three times per week and slowly begin to cut out sugar and carbs from your diet. If your resolution is to spend more time with friends and family, try calling your loved ones once or twice every week. Once a resolution becomes too daunting, it’s easier to give up on it. Set small, realistic goals and build them up throughout the year.

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Measure Progress

When the going gets tough, you’re going to need all of the support and encouragement to keep going. If your goal is to lose weight, keep track of weight fluctuations. If your resolution is to drop a nasty or toxic habit, count all of the days you avoided that habit and reward yourself for them. Take pictures and make notes to commemorate all of the steps you have taken towards your goal. These visuals will serve as an excellent motivator and reminder of the progress you have made since day one and will inspire you to keep going until the following New Year’s! When another helping of dessert or another hour of Netflix rears its ugly head of temptation, you can refer to your progress log and see how far you’ve come – and how far you can continue to go if you keep working hard!

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Be Patient

Rome wasn’t built in a day, so reaching your goals are going to take some time too. Don’t despair if it’s almost February or March and you aren’t anywhere near reaching your goal. Take it slow and remember that it’s called a New Year’s resolution for a reason. Starting on January 1st, you will have a full year to reach your goal. For some, progress is linear and will skyrocket once given the right foundation. For others, it’s not as simple. No matter how it works for you, take your time and enjoy the journey towards self-improvement. Don’t be discouraged by a lapse in progress or the occasional slip-up. Be patient with yourself.

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Keep Going

Never give up on your resolution, no matter what. It might seem easier said than done when it’s mid-April and all you want is to sink back into your habits from last year. Don’t do it. Don’t give in. Stay strong by reaching out to others. Friends and family are some of the best sources of support when it comes to making huge life changes. When you’re feeling hopeless and like your goals are too far away, rely on your loved ones to support you and give you the motivational talks necessary to keep moving forward. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come since day one and how far you have yet to go.

New Year’s Eve is right around the corner and it’s time to start thinking of what resolutions you want to make for the new year. With these tips, you’ll have everything you need to be a part of the 10%. Do you have what it takes? Auld Lang Syne is next on your New Year’s Spotify playlist and your champagne isn’t getting any more bubbly. The new year is almost here and it’s time to get to work.

Happy New Year!

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