Congratulations on all you have accomplished in the past year! With 2014 right around the corner, you’re probably making your New Year’s resolutions. There are usually two schools of thought when it comes to these types of resolutions, people who make them and people who don’t believe in them. People who make them usually forget about it by March. People who don’t believe in it have seen how unsuccessful others have been in their attempts. Well this year will different — not different like every other year, different; different. In order to make your New Year’s resolution successful, try these tips and make your dreams come true.
Have an accountability buddy
The person doesn’t have to go by this cheesy name, but they do need to help you reach your goal. The best kind of person to have in this position is a dear friend who is empathetic and understanding. They can’t be a pushover and they should also being trying to reach a goal that maybe you can help them with. You can’t get mad at your accountability buddy when they try to help you get back on track. In the end you’ll be able to enjoy your success with someone who was there for the entire journey.
Be realistic
Not to say that you can’t lose 50 pounds, you just can’t do it in a month. Making a realistic goal is the first step to having a successful resolution. Once you decide what you want to change research how long should it take to do this. For example, to lose 50 pounds in a non-surgical, healthy way it can take from 6 months to a year. Now you know your goal can be to lose 50 pounds in a year, which makes more sense. An unrealistic goal will just make you upset and want to give up. Don’t be afraid to take some time setting your goal; you want to make sure you’re comfortable with it. It may also work if you set a goal for just 30 days and set a new goal after the month is over.
Make it incremental
Instead of setting one huge goal, set a lot of little goals. For example, make your goal to lose 20 every 3 months in place a goal of 50 pounds it a year. The smaller number will seem more manageable and this will make your goal easier to reach. Almost any goal can be broken down into increments and you can make a chart to track your progress.
Incentivize your goals
Now that you have broken your one big goal in little goals, it’s time to incentivize. When you reach the first step towards accomplishing your goal, reward yourself — this way you’ll stay motivated to complete the entire goal. The important thing about incentives is that they shouldn’t conflict with your goal. If trying you’re to pay down your credit card debit, an incentive shouldn’t be a $1000 shopping spree. The incentives should also increase based on your goal. The first incentive can be small like a manicure and the last incentive should be the biggest, like a weekend spa trip with the girls.
Get a goal tracking program
Visualize your success by making a goal tracking system. If you like to DIY, make a chart with cardboard and colorful markers. If you’re looking for a quick one, try this printable version from myloveforwords.com. Want to track your goals right on your cell phone? There’s an app for that, and for a list of those click here. These goal trackers will help you see your progress and where you can improve easily, so no need to beat yourself up.
What’s your New Year’s resolution?
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I actually don’t make resolutions because it’s kind of cliche, I make GOALS! And goals, you can make YEAR ROUND!
All of these tips are great! I find the first one, being accountable, to be one of the most important. Once you’ve told all of the people in your life how important a goal is to you, they’ll be supportive in helping you reach it.
One of my biggest new years goals is to cut out processed foods from my life. Not all processed food, but the ones with ingredients I can’t pronounce 🙂
Howdy! This article could not be written any better!
Going through this post reminds me of my previous roommate!
He continually kept talking about this. I most certainly will send this article to him.
Pretty sure he will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!