Five tips keep your resolutions

by Brooklynn Smith

It’s late December and the holiday festivities are coming to an end. All of the gifts were opened, the food savored, and the champagne popped. New memories were made, along with a bunch of good stories to share for the coming year. You’re now with family and friends, quietly resting from all the excitement, when all of a sudden you remember something important. No it’s not making sure that the Christmas tree lights aren’t overheating. And no, it’s not whether you said too much at your job’s Christmas party. You remember your New Year’s resolutions.

Every year we’re challenged to do a twelve-month evaluation of ourselves. For most people, it typically goes like this: we think of all the ways we’ve underachieved throughout the year, then we come up with new habits for the new year that will magically fix our flaws and make us better. Common resolutions are quitting cigarettes, becoming debt-free, and working out every single day at 5 a.m. Once January 1 rolls around, we start the new habit for a couple of weeks, feel good about ourselves, then it quickly fizzles out, and sooner than you realize you’re back to the same ol’ routine in February. Nothing changes, and the cycle repeats itself.

Luckily, there’s a different approach you can take to avoid this hamster wheel. Let me introduce to you five methods that will help your resolutions last all year!

1. Reflect on your good and bad habits

Before diving headfirst into making your resolutions, take a moment to step back and reflect on the year. Try to focus on all of your achievements, the skills you gained, and all the ups and downs you’ve experienced. Consider the lessons you’ve learned, the people you’ve met, and how it shaped you to be the person you are today. This introspection mindset is a crucial foundation for long-lasting resolutions.

2. Set realistic goals with purpose

Resist the temptation to overwhelm yourself with too many resolutions. Despite there being 12 months in a year, avoid having 12 resolutions. Our end results are to achieve and succeed. That can’t happen if you dabble in a bunch of new habits! Instead, focus on setting realistic, manageable goals that align with your vision. Remember, it’s better to be a master of one, than a master of none. Commit to two or three resolutions and embrace each one wholeheartedly. Each goal should carry a sense of purpose and drive you to a meaningful change.

3. Journal or document your goals

Solidify your journey by documenting your progress. Doing this can be a major motivator! Try journaling and creating videos. If you choose to journal, then write about your thoughts, feelings, and make marks about your progress. There’s no wrong or right way to do this. You can even make little doodles, if that’s best.

If you aren’t big into writing, try taking daily videos of yourself. And don’t worry, they don’t have to be top-tier movie productions! Simply use the camera feature on your phone and talk about your progress as if you were talking to a friend or family member.

This not only serves as a tangible source of inspiration, but it also acts as a reminder of the commitment you promised to yourself. Having a permanent record of your goals keeps you accountable!

4. Envision your transformed self

Visualization is just a fancy word for daydreaming. And daydreaming is a powerful tool when making resolutions. Is one of your resolutions to quit smoking? Great! Try thinking about how that would look! Imagine yourself resisting temptations. Imagine your health improving drastically. And imagine your lungs breathing cleaner, fresher air. Let that vision guide your actions. Picture the positive impact it’ll have on your life, relationships, and health.

5. Be flexible

In a perfect world we’ll have the energy, space, and time to perform these new habits. But unfortunately, life is unpredictable. Some days will be worse than others and we might slip back to our old habits, despite being on a great track. Don’t let that discourage you! Be open to adapting based on changing events. Be kind to yourself and avoid self-criticism. A rollercoaster isn’t fun if the ride only goes up. It needs a couple of downs to make the experience worth it. The same goes with your journey; accept that the downs make the ups so much sweeter.

Making resolutions is easy – the hard part is keeping them. This year doesn’t have to be a repeat of failed attempts. Always keep in mind your vision and dream. Embrace the challenges, and remember that each day is a day for growth. As you go on your journey of self-improvement, remember that there is beauty in not only the destination but in the process itself!