The celebrations of the New Year and the air of promises and new beginnings it brings has always enthralled me, making New Year's a personal favorite of mine. It's the time of year to reflect on all the significant moments and changes that took place in the past 365 days and creating new ambitions for the upcoming year.
1. Don't set goals that are too broad.
https://unsplash.com/photos/6iYb1BWWbV0
Meaning, I would set goals like "lose weight," "drink more water," and "save money," but without any sort of structure or steps on how to accomplish these set objectives. Instead of telling yourself "I'm going to save money this year," formulate a plan like, "I'm going to set aside 20% of my earnings into a savings account every time I get paid." By doing this, it helps to set a sturdier foundation for you to follow through on.
2. Setting impractical expectations inevitably will end in failure.
https://unsplash.com/photos/6iYb1BWWbV0
For many, the common saying "New year, new me!" is interpreted in a literal sense. I often see that people subconsciously set themselves up for failure by forming unrealistic objectives, myself included. For example, one of my original resolutions was to master the art of yoga and meditation, fully knowing that I've only practiced both a handful of times. A more realistic goal would be to sign up for yoga classes and establish a meditation schedule that I know I'll stick to.
3. Your mindset influences your actions.
Anything you achieve in life is based on your mindset and what you allow yourself to accomplish. I have found that my biggest barrier in carrying out my New Year's resolutions is myself. I aspire to lose weight, but I constantly talk myself out of going to the gym, thus failing at maintaining a routine that allows me to do so. It's one thing to vocalize the resolutions you have for the New Year but it's another to earnestly act upon it; now is the time to produce the results you're wishing for instead of simply expressing it.
Writing down the list of things I wish to accomplish in 2019, I acutely noticed that roughly half of my goals were things I've been wanting to change for years, and I realized I've fallen victim to a vicious cycle of not accomplishing the goals I've made for myself. I sat down and thought: "How can I actually achieve the goals I've set for myself this year?" I made a few realizations that I feel would not only benefit myself but would help others with their struggle of maintaining their New Year's resolutions.
