How many times have you broken your New Year’s resolutions? Are you wondering if you’ll ever hit that target weight, break a bad habit or start the side hustle you’ve been dreaming of for years? When you approach your 2023 New Year’s resolutions with the following advice in mind, you’re much more likely to look back in 6 or 12 months, and like the change you see.
We also share practical examples to show how you can implement these tips.
Table of Contents
Create Resolutions that will Stick
Some resolutions are simply impossible to reach, so you’re setting yourself up for failure even before you start.
Firstly, trying to make a lifestyle change motivated by other people’s opinions is much harder than setting a goal that’s meaningful to YOU. For example, you may plan to exercise more, and upon a friend’s advice, you get a gym membership, even though you hate the gym. However, if you’re a nature lover and plan more hikes to get exercise, you’re much more likely to stick to the plan.
Another way to find more realistic goals is to pick ones that align with where your future is heading. Some people may first consider psychic readings as an option to help clarify where their lives are headed, such as whether they can expect a new relationship or job. To benefit from the latter, your New Year’s resolution can be to learn a new skill or complete a degree.
Alternatively, if you’re already set on a certain career path and your year’s goal is to read more, pick books that relate to the industry you’re part of. You’ll feel much more inclined to digest that type of information than the books on Oprah’s Book Club list.
Furthermore, be honest about whether you can reach the goal in the next 12 months. As an example, you may want to get out of debt. Calculate how much debt you can realistically clear based on your current income. Make that your goal, so you don’t get discouraged and give up halfway through 2023 when you realize you can’t clear it all in one year.
Have a Plan
Having a goal is just the start. Once you know where you want to end up, you need to create an actionable plan.
Breaking Bad Habits
For many people, New Year’s resolutions are about breaking bad habits. Instead of just getting frustrated every time you repeat that action, find practical ways to better manage situations related to the habit. Perhaps you can avoid triggers and situations that easily lead to the actions you’re trying to stop.
Here are some practical examples:
- If you want to spend less time scrolling through social media on your phone and more time speaking to your family, activate software that blocks access to certain apps after you’ve used them for a specified time.
- When you realize stress causes you to smoke more, find alternative ways to deal with stress, such as exercising or seeing a therapist.
Turning Daunting Goals into Smaller Milestones
On the 1st of January, you may feel psyched to implement change. But once life gets busy and you have less mental and physical energy, a big life goal can seem too daunting to achieve and cause stress rather than inspiring you. Here, the solution is to identify smaller milestones that will eventually get you to your final goal.
For example, establishing your own business is daunting. But the following milestones are necessary to make it happen, and they seem much more achievable:
- Doing market research
- Identifying your target audience
- Creating a business plan
- Considering different logo designs and picking the look and theme of your brand
- Listing company values
- Writing content for your company website to describe your product or services
Reaching each of these milestones one after another also means you can look back and measure how far you’ve come. This does a lot to keep you motivated throughout the year.
Be Realistic and Flexible
Even with these strategies in place, accept that there will be obstacles along the way. This realistic approach will prevent you from feeling demotivated when things go wrong.
Also, be prepared to make alternative plans when things don’t go your way. Perhaps you don’t get accepted to a training facility of your choice, and you’ll need to apply to others or wait a year and try again. Train yourself to see these situations as forks in the road, not failures.
Join Forces with Others
Along the journey of pursuing a New Year’s resolution, it can get very lonely if you attempt it on your own. It’s smart to admit your plans to someone else, so they can keep you accountable in the coming months.
You can even join – or create – a forum or community group with similar goals. Meet in person or connect online. Members can share experiences to help each other or pursue goals together to stay motivated.
Final Thoughts
It’s noble to try and better yourself or your life this coming year. A New Year’s resolution made on January 1st simply requires a plan for every other day of the next 12 months. For a change, unlike other years, you CAN enjoy positive outcomes by using these practical tips. Good luck!
