Five Ways to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
Lose weight? Check. Quit smoking and start exercising? Check and check. We are a week into 2017, so I decided to dedicate this blog post on how to keep your New Year’s resolutions as many of us make resolutions to improve our lives, but following through on those promises is notoriously difficult. So whether you yearn to be healthier, manage your time better, be more organized, score that corner office, learn how to meditate — whatever, really — consider these 5 tips if you need a little help to realize your resolutions this year:
Start Small
In other words, make one change at a time. Be realistic. Multiple resolutions aren’t likely to work. Focus and tackle one bad habit at a time — got it? Good.
Write On
People who put their goals on paper are significantly more likely to achieve them than are those who merely make mental vows, research shows. So put that pen to paper and visualize those dreams.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
When you feel discouraged, remind yourself how much you’ve accomplished in the past. Stay positive! Own the fact that perfection is unattainable. It’s okay to mess up…just try your best.
Talk about it
Share your experiences with family and friends. Consider joining a support group to reach your goals, such as a workout class at your gym or a group of coworkers quitting smoking. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less daunting.
There’s An App For That
Yes, you read that right. Consider using your smartphone to track your progress. Thankfully, there are hundreds of apps that can help keep us hitting our goals. My personal favorites include Any.Do (a to-do list app), Toggl (keeps track of tasks) and Lose It (helps monitor weight-loss goals).
I wish you the best of luck reaching for the stars in 2017!
