However, most people either forget about or give up on their New Year’s resolutions by February. Does this sound familiar?
Even if you’re one of those not on track at the moment, there’s still plenty of time to succeed. You don’t have to wait until next year to restart. The first of the year is simply another day. Today is just as good a day as any to start again.
This year can still be the most amazing year of your life!
Try these techniques to stick to or get back on track with your resolutions:
1. Evaluate your behaviour based on your resolutions. Think about your resolutions and your behaviour toward those goals.
- Are your actions supportive of those goals? For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, are you making wise food choices?
- Do your actions conflict with your goals?
- How are you basing your decisions on your goals?
- How often do you plan your day with your goals in mind?
2. Evaluate your results based on your resolutions. How much progress have you made? (For example, how much weight have you lost?) How close are you to reaching your goal?
- How long will it take to achieve your goals based on your progress so far?
3. Be honest with yourself. If you’re failing, why? When did you start getting off track? What’s the reason for your lack of progress? What could you have done better?
- Identify areas for improvement even if you’re doing well.
- Do you still want to achieve this goal? It’s fine if you don’t, but that’s a good sign that it’s time to set a new goal!
4. Create a new plan if necessary. If you’re struggling, then change your strategy. Make a new plan if you’re struggling. If you’re ahead of schedule, see if you can make an even better plan. Set milestones and review your progress towards them at regular intervals.
5. Identify potential obstacles. Consider the obstacles you’ve already encountered, as well as the ones you’re likely to face in the future.
- Have a plan in place for addressing potential issues. Obstacles are less intimidating if you already have a plan in place to deal with them.
6.Gather resources. Think about everything you’re going to need to succeed this time.
- How much time will you need each day?
- What knowledge do you need to gain?
- Whose help do you need?
- What personality traits and attitudes do you need to possess?
7. Evaluate on a regular basis. Don’t allow yourself to lapse this time around. Schedule a time to sit down and evaluate your progress. This could be done each night or once a month, depending on your goal. Think about what will work best for your situation.
8. Don’t give up. If your goal is even remotely reasonable, you’ll eventually succeed if you keep trying. You’re guaranteed to fail if you give up.
- Remember: Successful people are persistent and don’t give up.
It’s common for people to give up, or forget about their New Year’s resolutions by the beginning of February. Even if you fall into that category this year, there’s no reason to lose hope.
Every day is a great opportunity commit to making real progress.
Give yourself the privilege of a reset and start again. Use what you’ve learned over the past month to create a more effective plan going forward.
