You’ve seen the statistics. People break almost half of their New Year’s Resolutions before the end of January. And almost all of them by the end of March.
If you’re working on what resolutions you want to make for the New Year, up your chances of success by making sure those resolutions are good resolutions for you. Not sure how to do that? Here are 5 tips for making sure your New Year’s resolutions serve you:
#1 | Make Your Resolution Specific
One problem with many resolutions is they are too vague. When you have a vague resolution, you can’t create an action plan, and you don’t know if you’re making progress.
In a sense, you don’t actually have a resolution. For example, you say your resolution is “I want to lose weight.” Ok, great. But if you lose 1 pound, technically you’ve lost weight. The same with losing 50 pounds. Depending on the person, both of these numbers can be unhelpful.
To make your resolution serve you, try saying, “I want to lose 20 pounds.” Now, it is a clear message. You know the exact moment you reach your goal.
#2 | Make Your Resolution Out of Love
Many of our New Year’s resolutions come because we want to change something in ourselves. We want to lose weight, get a promotion, or find a partner. These are all perfectly fine goals, but most of the time, we do it because we think we will be better people once we have them.
The thing is, you need to love yourself now, without those things you want. When you love yourself as you are, you are better able to make the choices needed to reach your goals. If you need to find a partner in order to be lovable, then all of the actions you’re taking now aren’t loving. Love yourself first, then you show the world you are lovable. You will attract someone who wants to share your love.
The key is to want to change, not feel you have to change.
#3 | Make Your Resolution What YOU Want
This idea partners with taking action out of love, but has a strong difference. In order to make sure your resolution is serving you, you need to make sure it is actually what you want.
Society may tell you that you need to lose weight, but if you’re perfectly happy having more curves, then making weight loss a resolution won’t serve you. But if you want to spend more time following your passion, then having a resolution centered around spending more time on your hobbies align with your actual wants.
The same goes for any part of your life. Your resolution should come from what you want – not what society, or your mother, tells you you should want.
Read how Erin manifested her dream life here.
#4 | Make Your Resolution a “Do”, Not a “Don’t”
What if, instead of making resolutions that make you less, you choose resolutions that make you more? Instead of, “I will eat less sweets”, you say, “I will eat a larger variety of fruits and vegetables.” Instead of, “I will be less demanding of my spouse”, you say, “I will look for ways to actively love my spouse.”
By turning the resolution on its head, you are reminding yourself that you are not too much of anything, but that you can improve in some areas. It builds in grace and changes your mindset around your day.
The way our brains work, as soon as we start thinking about something, we see it everywhere. Like, when you buy a new car you suddenly see the make and model everywhere. So since our brains are hardwired to look for things – put it to your advantage and make your resolution about adding in positives.
#5 | Make Your Resolution Get to Your “Why”
Without knowing – really knowing – why you want to make the change you want to make, it will be hard to know if it is the resolution for you.
You decide you want to be more active. Why? So you can be healthier. Why? So you have more energy. Why? So you keep up with your kids and really feel present in their lives. There it is! Your why isn’t just a general “to be healthier,” it’s that you want the energy and capacity to keep up with your kids and not be the mom who just sits and watches.
Knowing the real, deep-level why of what you want is important. Since it is something that will drive you, you have a better sense this resolution is one that is worth it.
Making and keeping New Year’s Resolutions can be a positive and rewarding experience. Just make sure they are serving to help you grow.
What will your New Year’s resolution be this year? Share in the comments below.
