If you haven’t already seen a bunch of blogs, articles or op-eds telling you how to — insert synonym for “achieve” here — your New Year’s resolution(s), then you probably will. And it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the (sometimes conflicting) guidance. So we’re going to distill the most important advice for you here.
◘ Big dreams are good, but small goals are better. There is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars. For your resolutions, however, it’s better to set specific, achievable goals that can help you reach your big dream.
Often, our resolutions are kind of vague: wanting to lose weight, wanting to exercise more, wanting to eat healthier, wanting to read more, wanting to be more creative. But you can’t measure progress when your goal is so nebulous. Instead, set specific outcomes and benchmarks you want to hit, like losing X-number of pounds by the end of the year, exercising a set number of minutes per day, reading 20 books in a year, completing a certain amount of a creative project by a specific date, etc.
It’s better to set the bar too low and consistently overachieve than to set the bar too high and get discouraged when you can’t reach it. If you can consistently reach that goal, start inching the bar upward. Because, more often than not, completing our New Year’s resolution is less about hitting one specific objective than it is about developing good habits.
◘ It’s not all or nothing. Let’s face it: We all fall short at some point. Fortunately, life is not like one of those games where if you make one mistake, you have to go all the way back to the beginning. So if you do mess up, you don’t have to give up and wait to start again next year. Just pick up where you left off.
Now, you might have to put in a little extra work if, say, your goal was to lose a set number of pounds or read a certain number of books by the end of the year. But if your goal was to create habits, like eating more vegetables or spending X minutes exercising, or writing so many words per day, then forgive yourself for getting sidetracked and get back on course.
◘ Make it fun. No one is going to stick to a New Year’s resolution that is absolutely miserable, so make reaching your goal an enjoyable process. Put on your favorite music or podcast or invite a friend to do it with you.
◘ Celebrate your wins. When you reach a goal or a benchmark, celebrate it! Take pleasure in every small win, because that’s what will keep you motivated. Whenever you get overwhelmed by how much is left to do, look back and see how far you’ve come.
Think of the New Year as the starting line of a 365-day marathon, but the only person you are competing against is yourself. Remember, every step is progress. Even when you get sidetracked, even when you stop to rest — every step is progress.
We believe in you. So get ready, get set … and — when the clock chimes midnight — go.
