How to Make This the Year You Actually Stick to Your New Year Resolutions!

Whether or not you make specific ‘resolutions’ in the New Year, you likely have some type of overall goal that you’re wanting to achieve this year. The New Year is a great time to set these because the motivation is high, and you can get that boost from other people as well since it’s a very common time of the year to make changes and set goals. However, we know that most people tend to fall off these resolutions by February or March. Why? I think there are a few reasons, such as lack of focus on the actionable steps and habits needed to achieve your goals, lack of accountability, and self-doubt.

Actionable Steps and Habits

Let’s say that you have a fat loss goal this year (simply picking this because it’s a super common one and almost everyone has had this goal at one point or another and did not follow through). Rather than just picking a goal weight or a set deadline, I want you to also think about the steps and habits that you would need to implement to get to that point.

For fat loss, these habits or actionable steps might look like:

• Hitting a daily calorie goal & tracking your intake using an app
• Getting X steps/day
• Finding (and following) an exercise plan X times/week
• Cooking most of your meals at home
• Prioritizing sleep and recovery
• Consuming adequate protein at each meal

These habits are things that you can track and measure. It can be so hard to solely focus on the scale when you may or may not see changes each week. However, when you focus on the smaller habits and the frequency with which you complete these, you can have a better understanding of where you’re going, the progress you have made and what changes you might need to make to reach your end goal.

This approach can be carried into other areas of life as well. Have a career goal? You can focus on the steps you need to take to achieve that!

Want a promotion this year? Actionable steps might look like:

• Setting up calls with your manager/team to request their feedback on your performance and understanding what improvements you may need to work on
• Finding areas you can take initiative in your current role
• Find someone to mentor you in the role you’re hoping to obtain
• Focusing on your relationships with current clients/co-workers
• Finding tasks that relate to your desired role that you can complete now
• Take note of your accomplishments so you have these on hand when discussing promotions and career paths with your manager

These are all steps I actually took this past year to be able to transition into a new role. It wasn’t easy, it took a LOT of effort and time on my end, but I’m now in the process of transitioning to a new department in a role that much better suits my current career goals.

Accountability

The next thing to consider is that you may need extra accountability! Sometimes telling a friend or family member about your goals can help you stay on top of the actions you need to take. You don’t necessarily need to keep them involved in all the details or even ask for advice, but just telling someone about your goals can often give you the push you need to make it happen. Remember to be thoughtful about who you tell!

Accountability can also come in the form of having checkpoints periodically where you take time to evaluate your progress. During these checkpoints, you’ll look at what’s working well, what needs improvement, your current progress toward the goal, and what changes you might need to make moving forward. This could be just a quick self-reflection, but it may also be helpful to write actual notes in a notebook, your phone, or wherever you prefer to track this. Again, this is a way to track the steps you need to take and helps bring your goals back to the forefront of your mind. It can be easy to set lofty goals early on when the motivation is high, but then they fall off when you get wrapped up in your normal day-to-day routine. Taking this time to evaluate your progress can help keep you on track or get back on track if needed! A mentor is also a great tool in this case as well. Whether that’s a coach for nutrition/exercise, an experienced co-worker, or someone else!

If you happen to be looking for a great planner to help with tracking your goals and tasks, I have been using a Plum Paper planner for a few years now and love it! It is fully customizable, including the prints, size, inner formatting, etc. I find that being able to customize each section has made me really use the planner more frequently because it all applies directly to what I’m working on. I’ve linked it here in case you are in the market! I have used both the 7×9″ and the 8.5×11″ versions and I really like the smaller option as it is easier to carry around, but still fits my needs. I also love their notebooks as well for brainstorming and keeping track of tasks/notes. You can also typically sign up for their emails and get a 10% off discount.

Self-doubt

Lastly, remember that whatever your goals are, you CAN achieve them. Most of the time, what stands in the way is simply the fact that you don’t fully believe in yourself. I know that sounds ‘woo-woo,’ but it is true. Your belief in what you can achieve sets the tone for the actions you take, the attitude you have toward your goals and current situation, and how you show up each day.

Some things that might help in this area include using words of affirmation, understanding your core values and motivations (internal vs. external, etc.), and doing some self-discovery and reflection on how your past goals and resolutions have gone. You might try journaling, reading a self-development book or listening to motivational podcasts to help improve your confidence and gain positive influence. 

And if no one has told you yet, I’ll say it- I believe that you can do it! 😊 Let me know what goals you’re working on this year! I’d love to hear them and be your cheerleader if you need one!