How to Make and Keep New Year's Resolutions | 10 Awesome Tips

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New Year’s resolutions are basically one-year goals that you make in an effort to change your life at the beginning of the New Year. If you are ready to make some life changes that will forever alter the path that you are on, New Year’s resolutions could work wonders for you!

In this article, we will define what New Year’s resolutions are so that you understand what you are getting into before making a big leap of faith in your future. Additionally, we will look at seven reasons why it is a good idea to make New Year’s resolutions each year.

We will also talk about the top 10 tips that will help you make and keep your New Year’s resolutions this year. You will no longer wish you could do things, but find that you never can achieve what you’d hoped for. Instead, follow these tips for victory this year!

Imagine achieving the things in life you always wanted to with the right New Year’s resolutions!

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What are New Year’s Resolutions?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a New Year’s resolution is a promise to change something about yourself. You typically will make this promise to yourself, but you might share it with others for accountability. Often, it involves changing a habit on the first day of the new year.

A New Year’s resolution can be as small as stopping biting your fingernails or as big as traveling around the world doing missionary work. Usually, resolutions are efforts made to improve oneself in some way. In most cases, the individual wants to better themselves.

Because resolutions typically take a lot of work to achieve, it takes a lot of “resolve” and motivation to make one that you will keep. If you are on the fence about something, you will not likely want to make a New Year’s resolution about it because you might not keep the promise.

A New Year’s resolution is a promise to change something about your current circumstances.

Why You Should Make New Year’s Resolutions

If you’ve ever wondered what the point of New Year’s resolutions is, this section is for you. It will explain some dynamite reasons for making New Year’s resolutions. This way, you will know exactly why you should get involved in this crazy thing that many do each year!

New Year’s resolutions give you a sense of renewal.

Like a rebirth, each year on January 1, we are given a fresh start. If you are having a rough year, have no fear. Next year is right around the corner. It’s wonderful to think about better changes happening in the future and what you can expect once the New Year comes.

You will have something to look forward to if you have New Year’s resolutions.

I love planning and expecting great things. I think it’s the planning of an event or vacation that is part of the fun of the whole thing, but I’m a weirdo. It’s also the anticipation that can bring joy! If you have a reason to get up and get dressed each morning, wouldn’t it be worth trying?

Look forward to some fabulous New Year’s resolutions this year!

With New Year’s resolutions, you can have a great sense of excitement.

Once you have your New Year’s resolutions written out, you might begin to feel a great sense of excitement as you think about what things will be like when you achieve that resolution. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, you could picture the new wardrobe you can buy!

New Year’s resolutions can help you focus on what’s really important in life.

When you lay out your New Year’s resolutions, you will know and see clearly what is most important to you. If all of your eggs are in one basket (all goals are in the same area), you might want to diversify a bit. It can help to keep a balance in life.

You are more likely to achieve your goals if you have set New Year’s resolutions.

When you write down goals, you are more likely to achieve them. Look at your New Year’s resolutions daily or throughout the day, and you will see even better results. If you are ambitious enough to maintain set goals or resolutions, you’ll have a greater chance at success.

Achieve the goals you never thought were imaginable by setting great New Year’s resolutions!

Gain a sense of direction to achieve smaller goals with New Year’s resolutions.

As you are led through the process of making New Year’s resolutions, you might realize that you need to set some smaller goals in order to achieve the big ones. With New Year’s resolutions, you see the one-year picture, a bigger picture. This helps with the smaller things in life.

New Year’s resolutions provide much-needed motivation, determination, and even willpower.

It can be tough to change habits or make other alterations in your life. If you need a push in the right direction, a New Year’s resolution might give you exactly what you’ve been searching for – the motivation and determination to change things the way they need to be changed.

How to Make and Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

The following tips will help you as you work to make and keep your New Year’s resolutions this year. As you review each tip, be sure to take notes, writing down the steps that might work for you so that you can apply them when you are ready to create your New Year’s resolutions.

Review your personal vision statement.

If you don’t know how to write a personal vision statement, it is an exercise worth doing. Use your personal vision statement to review what your mission in life is or will be once you achieve your goals. With your vision statement, you should have a clear picture of where you’re headed.

Your personal vision statement will help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions!

Make a list of what you need to do to achieve your vision.

How will you achieve your vision? What obstacles are you potentially facing? What could get in your way? How can you overcome those obstacles with goals or meaningful and specific New Year’s resolutions? Consider all of the angles before tackling your goals.

Decide on 1 or 2 things that are most important.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by making a list of 25 New Year’s resolutions that you want to accomplish this year unless they are small and achievable. Consider focusing on just one or two New Year’s resolutions at a time so that you can truly concentrate on what’s most important!

Break down those things into small goals.

Now it’s time to break down the big New Year’s resolutions that you decided upon into smaller, achievable goals. For example, if you wish to win a marathon, you might have it on your to-do list: buy new tennis shoes, join a walking club, and start walking one mile per day.

Create a SMART plan to achieve your goals.

SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. If you list things like losing weight, going to heaven, or enjoying a trip, you’ll have trouble measuring these goals to determine if you achieved what you were hoping to do. Read more examples of goals.

SMART goals are a real key to achieving those difficult-to-keep New Year’s resolutions!

Make a list of habits to start or stop to achieve your goals.

Now that you have your SMART goals, you can make a list of habits to start or stop – things that will help you achieve your goal. For example, if you wish to win a marathon, you could have the habit of walking every day for one mile. That would put you on track to achieve your goal.

Prioritize your habits in your daily schedule.

Try habit stacking if applicable to your daily schedule. Habit stacking is when you attach two habits to one another. If you brush your teeth at 5 A.M. each morning, make it a point to have your tennis shoes next to your bath rug to remind you to put them on to go running.

Continually track your progress as you go along.

You can track your progress using a spreadsheet, worksheet, or graph of some kind. If you want to lose 10 pounds, you might make a rectangle graph with 10 squares in it. After you lose a pound, you could color in one square until you have colored all 10 in (and lost your 10 lbs.).

Share your New Year’s Resolutions for accountability.

It’s a good idea to share your New Year’s resolutions or annual goals with a trusted family member or friend in order to obtain accountability. Perhaps your best friend would like to go running with you a few days a week. That will keep you on target to reach that goal!

Share your New Year’s resolutions with someone you trust for true accountability!

Keep yourself motivated with rewards and reminders.

Rewards can be quite motivating, but it can be a challenge to come up with something that applies to the goal. If you are hoping to lose a lot of weight, your reward would need to be applicable to that goal. Perhaps new exercise equipment or a new wardrobe would work.

Examples of New Year’s Resolutions

Here are some examples of New Year’s resolutions that are common. If you want to try one of these on for size this year, go for it. You can adapt it to meet your needs and desires. Just ensure that it aligns with your personal vision statement, as discussed above.

#1. Run a marathon this Summer.

Do you see how this is time-bound (this Summer)? Put a time frame on your goals.

#2. Lose 5 pounds by the end of the year.

This is very specific (5 pounds), which gives you the opportunity to adjust the amount if needed.

#3. Make 3 girlfriends that I can go to the mall with once a month.

This can be tricky, because what counts as a girlfriend? It might be helpful to define that.

#4. Take my wife on a date one day per week.

Again, what constitutes a date with the wife? Make sure you are specific enough that it’s distinguishable.

#5. Work an additional 5 hours per week at the office.

The quantity is very specific and the time frame is listed here (per week), so this is good.

#6. Take my family on a vacation for at least 5 days once a year.

This is helpful because most people know what a vacation consists of – leaving the house!

#7. Purchase a new car this year.

This could be a bit too vague, but the time frame is listed, which is good.

#8. Save $1,000 by the end of the year.

This is specific and measurable with a time frame in mind. It’s an excellent SMART goal.

#9. Start my own blog by the end of the Summer.

A goal like this can be great since there is a time frame listed, but a smaller list of steps would be helpful here.

#10. Go on a road trip with my best friend before his birthday this year.

Again, this goal might be SMART if it were a bit more specific. Open-ended ones can be difficult to achieve without details.

Remember to make your New Year’s resolutions SMART this year!

Helpful Resources for New Year’s Resolutions

Check out these articles for additional assistance in creating awesome New Year’s Resolutions!

Frequently Asked Questions

Read these frequently asked questions to better understand New Year’s resolutions!

How do you make SMART New Year’s Resolutions?

Create one-year goals or resolutions that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Make sure that when you create goals, they meet those criteria. For example, change the goal of losing weight to five pounds by January 31.

Why do most New Year’s Resolutions fail?

Most people lack the determination to stick with New Year’s resolutions. Some people think and dream so big that they are unable to meet their own expectations. Others are just simply not ready to make the changes needed to achieve their resolutions.

How do you set yourself up for success with New Year’s Resolutions?

Make certain that your goals meet the SMART criteria mentioned above. Give yourself a reward of some kind (could be internal or social, not financial) if you are able to achieve your New Year’s resolutions. Plan ahead, find an accountability partner, and track your progress, too.

How do you increase your chances of sticking with your New Year’s Resolutions?

When you set your New Year’s resolutions, be particular. Don’t just make a list of 100 things because someone else is doing it. Instead, think about your purpose or calling in life, and reflect on it. Don’t wait till the last minute to decide what you will change. Plan ahead.

What are the most common New Year’s Resolutions?

Some popular New Year’s resolutions include going to the gym more, eating right, losing weight, saving money, improving one’s marriage, reducing one’s blood pressure or other health concerns, spending less time on the computer or social media, and working less.

Conclusion

You now know how to make and keep New Year’s resolutions. In fact, you understand what these resolutions are all about, why you should make some, and the different ways to create your own and maintain them all year! We’re wishing you the best of luck this year!

Remember that you can achieve what you set your mind to, so create SMART New Year’s resolutions that will challenge you!