7 Ways to Nail Your New Year Resolutions
Hola!
If you're anything like me, you're not making any new year resolutions. I do believe in yearly goals, I just do mine around my birthday. For those jumping on the "New Year, New Me" bandwagon - welcome! There are plenty of you waiting to kick ass and catapult into greatness in 2018.
Unfortunately, I read somewhere that only about 8% of people who make resolutions actually stick to them. The odds aren't looking to be ever in your favor with those stats, but not to fear! I've (and by I, I mean my husband and I) come up with 7 ways that will help you stay lazer-focused, committed, and reach those goals that are oh-so important to you. READY TO BE A BADASS? Continue reading...
7 Ways To Nail Your New Year Resolutions
1. Be honest with yourself. It's ok to go big. It's ok to stay small, but if your NYR has been the same thing for the last 5 years with no progress, it's time to reevaluate. Don't choose a resolution because "you should" or because it's popular. Choose something that you're serious about and really want to see a change in. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for an easy fail from the get-go, and we don't want that.
2. Find a new friend to be your Accountability Partner (AP). I first heard of an AP from one of my sisters who was hard hitting her fitness goals. She might have had more than one, but she and her most notable accountability partner were insanely loyal and devoted to one another. If they said they'd show up for a 5am class, their asses were there bright and early ready for class at 5am. I recommend finding a new friend or someone you don't know as well (think an old associate from high school that you're Facebook friends with, a co-worker, or someone from church or another place you frequent) who has the same NYR interests as you. You're less likely to flake on someone you're still on decently formal terms with. If it was my best friend, I'd be 100% OK with texting at 9pm that I'm not going to the 5am class the next morning. But I'd be less likely to do that with Jen from accounting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
3. Keep it simple. You can quickly face defeat if you add too many resolutions on your plate, especially if you have no real plan on how to reach them. It can be overwhelming when you want to do well at so many things at once. Choose what's most important to you, then make a plan to reach your goals via mini goals. For instance, if my goal is to improve my swimming skills, maybe my first goal is to find a pool or instructor by X date. My next goal might be to attend X lessons each month. The next might be to swim 100 meters within X amount of time. All of the small goals will ultimately help you reach the big one.
4. Focus on the quarters. If you do have a hefty number of resolutions, focus on one or two during each quarter of the year. For example, if I have five resolutions and two of them are to try kickboxing and run my first 10k, I would only focus on these two for the first quarter of the year, setting due dates to coincide within that time frame. They complement each other, both being fitness-related, and I can lazer focus in on anything for three months (and so can you). You're super dedicated for a shorter amount of time, which helps to minimize distractions and once you've reached the goal, you're done!
5. Post your resolutions where you'll see them often. My husband is a strong believer in this one. Writing down goals, dreams, or anything you want to achieve helps to increase the likelihood that you'll achieve them (or at least work on achieving them.) Read a little more about that here. I have Post-It notes with goals/desires scribbled on them inside my closet door - a place I see each morning. Try posting these resolutions in a place you can't miss them, and maybe even in your "weak places", like in your car (if you hate going to the gym after work), on the fridge (if you can't say no to extra desserts), in front of the tv (if you want to read more), or on your laptop (if you're cutting back from porn..jk). ;)
6. Make them SMART. I'm sure you've heard this one time and time again, so much so that you'd probably slap me if you could for even bringing it up here. HOWEVER, it stands to be repeated again and again and again. If your goals/resolutions are not following the SMART method or something similar, you're at a disadvantage.
- Specific: Answers the what, when, where, who, how, which, etc.
- Measurable: How will you know that you've reached the goal? What does successful look like?
- Attainable or achievable: Is this actually possible (accounting for finances, resources, etc.)?
- Realistic or relevant: Do you have time and passion to complete this?
- Timely: Do you have a time limit on accomplishing your goal?
This article does a great job of describing what SMART Goals are and how to employ this system to help you become successful. :)
7. Think outside of the box! Mix it up and get creative with how you reach your goals. You don't have to use the same 'ol, same 'ol, snoring, boring methods to get to your end result. If you want to lose weight, make goals that are fun but efficient. For instance, perhaps you could plan to try 3 different types of activity within 2 months. Make a cooking club with your friends where you challenge each other to make healthy meals to share once a week. Hold yourself accountable in exciting (or scary) ways - bet your money that you can stay on the bandwagon or switch teams and wear your rival's gear if you fall short of reaching a goal. Make it fun! This doesn't have to be something you dread. You're working on your best self, so take pleasure in it.
And there you have it. Kick ass this year! I know you can. If you're feeling saucy, let me know what your goals are and how you plan on reaching them. And if you need a little kick in the rear, I can help with that. ;)
-seria
Cover photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash