How to make and keep New Year’s Resolutions

While most New Year’s Resolutions break down after just one or two months, yours don’t have to be. This 2022, make it a habit not only to keep your resolution for the whole year and beyond, but to create one that you can follow through.

To start, have a SMART resolution.

• Specific: Your resolutions should be clear and concise. Instead of saying, “I want to lose weight this year”, you can say, “I want to lose one pound a week.”
• Measurable: Similar to being specific, you should have goals you can measure. Have a journal and log in every day (or every week) changes and transformations.
• Achievable: For goals to be achievable, take baby steps. This doesn’t mean that you need to forego the huge goals, but to get there, you need to take one step at a time.
• Relevant: Is this a goal that’s personal and relevant to you? Are you making it because you want to change, or because society dictates it?
• Time-bound: Create a resolution that’s within a time frame. This way, you’d put a little bit of pressure on yourself – but it’s a kind of healthy pressure that can motivate you to do your best.

Here are other ways to make and keep your New Year’s Resolutions.

Make it personal.

The trigger and pattern for quitting a common bad habit such as smoking are as unique as the person attempting to quit. You may need to perform some investigative work to figure out what the true trigger is for the habit you want to break, and then what will take its place.

Both the cue and the reward should be straightforward. For instance, when it comes to running, a cue might be as simple as putting on your running clothing, even if you don’t do anything else after that. Then continue with putting on running clothing and walking around the block. You want to create an atmosphere that’s personal for you.

Find a community.

You don’t need to look for a specific organization, but you should inform one or two others that you’ve established a goal. Tell them your strategy and ask them to hold you accountable. That way, it’s a public commitment, and you’ll feel like you’re part of a community that wants you to succeed.

You may also use social media to make your goal public, such as announcing on Facebook that you will learn to cross-stitch by July 1 and providing updates on your progress. This, of course, doesn’t mean that you can get positive feedback from everyone in your circle of friends. But at least you can receive some advice – just learn to filter them out.

Avoid bad influences.

While friends and family members may want to help you, some may be able to hold you back. It’s time to avoid these bad influences. For example, if you’re attempting to quit smoking at work and getting ridiculed about it, say something like this: “I truly liked our time outside, but I’m sorry that I have to back off now since quitting smoking is so crucial to my health. It would be too much for me to hang around with the gang during the smoking sessions. Again, my apologies.”

If you explain your intentions clearly and the other person continues to resist, it may be an indication that the relationship isn’t right for you.

Missing your goal doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely. You are always welcome to start afresh and anew. Although New Year’s resolutions are named because it usually happens on the first day of the year, you can start any day and any time. Just remember not to rush things, and keep it slow. You will get there, eventually.

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