New Year’s resolution…..

I am sure we will all remember 2020 for the rest of our lives.

The holiday season is over, and 2026 is here. As you indulge in introspection and look at some of your life choices, New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity to start making changes. As human beings, we create habits. Changing those habits is not easy. It becomes even more difficult if we are not motivated or have a circle of friends who are not positive. To become a beautiful butterfly, it has to go through the egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages.

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living – Gail Sheehy

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future – John F. Kennedy

New year’s resolutions are not an incentive or stimulus to make across the board changes in character. I suggest you reflect on 2020 and make some positive lifestyle changes. If you recognize a change is required, here are some suggestions on sticking to your new year’s resolutions.

Write It Down

By recording your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be. Put your future in good hands – your own – Mark V Hansen

If you write down your New Year’s resolutions and remind yourself daily, you have a better chance of accomplishing them. If you log it in a journal, it helps you keep track of your progress.

Make It Small and Realistic

You have to find out what’s right for you, so it’s trial and error. You are going to be all right if you accept realistic goals for yourself – Teri Garr

Lose weight, exercise more, eat healthy, change jobs, earn more, and travel. These are amazing New Year’s resolutions. However, these are huge goals and you are setting yourself up for failure. Focus on only one goal. Make it realistic and go for it. Do you have the discipline, focus, and commitment to achieve the goal? Remember, you are not trying to overhaul your whole life. You will set yourself up for failure and disappointment.

Make It Exact

A goal properly set is halfway reached – Zig Ziglar

A New Year’s resolution needs to be doable, meaningful, and aligned with your goals and values. Research shows that people fail in their resolutions when it is based not on their choice but on the choices of society or their friends and they do not have a plan.

I love SMART goals. It should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Have an Accountability Partner

Most goals people set are not achieved because they are not held accountable for them. When goals are made in private they tend to fall off because people stop being motivated, stop focusing, and stop prioritizing – Bola Onada Sokunbi

You will be more successful in achieving your New Year’s resolution if you share it with someone and be accountable. You have written the resolution on the fridge, it is in your diary, now it is time for someone to know about it and keep you on track.

Reassess Your Goals

Self-awareness requires us to reassess where we came from and where we are going – Kilroy J. Oldster

You have made one or two New Year’s resolutions. As time goes by, re-evaluate the resolution. Is it still unrealistic? Make some changes. Perfection is not the goal. You will stumble along the way. It is normal to have ups and downs in our lives. Always focus on getting back on track.

Enjoy the Accomplishments

Make time to celebrate your achievements no matter how big or small – Unknown

If you set a goal to save 3,000 dollars for the year. After two months, you have only saved $300. You need to celebrate the fact that you are getting better at saving money.

A goal needs to be doable, meaningful, and aligned with your goals and values. Research shows that people fail in their resolutions when it is based not on their choice but on the choices of society or their friends and they do not have a plan.

Find a Support Group

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much – Helen Keller

There are many real-life and online support forums and groups on social media that are aiming for similar goals. When you join a group it is a community, a sense of belonging, a belief in getting things done, and the willingness to change.

Stay Away from Negativity

Don’t walk away from negative people – run! – Mark Twain

There is a chance that the very people you hang out with are stopping you from changing. If you want to quit smoking, drinking, or any other behavior it is important to stop hanging around an environment that encourages that behavior.

Have a Time-Frame

And the reason for focusing on that time frame is that it’s going to take us a considerable period of time to develop the new capabilities – Stephen Cambone

To be and stay motivated, have a time frame. In a diary have a plan of action for the next 12 months and you decide how often you want to evaluate.

Never Ever Give Up

Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine – Jack Ma

No matter what happens, you should never give up. Stay on the course and stick to your New Year’s resolution.

We have been through so much in 2020. The collective pain will last for a while.

I admire you for making a New Year’s resolution. I admire you for reading this post. Now I want you to meet your goal of achieving your New Year’s resolution. Go for it. Finally, here are some New Year’s resolution ideas:

Exercise more and lose weight

Eat Healthier food

Save money

Be Happier

Get out of debt

Volunteer and give to charity

Forgive

Be more responsible

The post 10 Secrets on How to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolution appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.