Whether you’re aiming to up your fitness routine, quit a bad habit, or save money to purchase a dream home; new year resolutions are a way to better yourself as you kick off 2023. Did you know, over half of all new year resolutions fail? We are here to provide you with your ultimate guide to sticking to your new year resolution. We hope these tips and tricks help you on your journey to success!
If a real estate transaction is on your 2023 resolution list, consider current mortgage rates and how they compare to past years. Plus, learn how you can easily sell a home with a mortgage.
Picking your goal
Our first, and most important tip lies with selecting your resolution. You can set yourself up for success, or not, right from the start. Picking the right goal for you is extremely important. Consider the following when selecting your new year resolution:
- Your goal should be clear, concise, specific, and measurable
- Pick something that is meaningful to you (i.e. don’t pick a goal that is for society or anyone else)
- Make your resolution something that is attainable (i.e. don’t take on too much)
Deep dive
Next on our list of tips for sticking to your new year resolution is to take a deep dive into your problem. This will allow you to understand the root of the issue. Knowing why you are participating in a bad habit is extremely valuable when trying to create a plan to change.
As an example, let’s say your goal is to quit smoking. Think back to why you began smoking in the first place. Was it peer pressure? Was it to fit in socially? Was it a way to curb a nervous or stressed feeling? In this example, let’s say you realize you began smoking because it helped you feel less stressed.
Use this a blueprint to stop smoking by replacing the habit with another, more productive activity that can help curb stress. Maybe you can start exercising to relieve stress. Try yoga, squeezing a stress ball, or even try learning about how your breathing can make you feel calmer.
Whatever you identify as the root cause of why the habit began, this is your starting point to creating a plan to change.
Plan and execute
Once you understand why you have the bad habit, it’s time to create a plan and execute accordingly. Lean on supportive people in your life to help keep you accountable. Think about what it will take to achieve your goal and write it down. Don’t keep your goal a secret! Support from all parts of your life will give you the best shot at achieving the goal.
As you make strides in executing your plan, know that often progress is not linear. This means you will likely have setbacks. Maybe you had a particularly busy week and you missed out on your fitness routine. Maybe you were traveling and slipped up on your quest to organization by having a messy hotel room. It’s important to provide yourself with the necessary grace during these setbacks to not fully give up on the goal.
Utilizing a positive mindset is a great way to not let a discouraging period of time derail your resolution entirely. Instead, remember that everyone you are looking up to also had their moments of defeat. This is part of learning, growing, and bettering yourself. Take these setbacks as motivation to get back to your goal!
Offer yourself time
It’s scientifically proven that it takes on average 66 days for something to become a habit. No matter your goal, you need to offer yourself time to succeed. There is a reason new year resolutions are meant to last a full year! It takes time to build new habits and ditch old ways. Set yourself up for success by knowing changing old habits doesn’t happen overnight.
Celebrate small victories
Knowing that as you navigate your journey to better yourself there will be small fails, and small wins can help prepare you for success. Just as you shouldn’t let your setbacks stifle all your progress, you should also be celebrating your small wins. Each little step forward is worth celebrating.
Let’s say your goal is to become a healthier version of you by eating better. When you’re faced with a choice of pizza or a salad and you choose the salad, give yourself a little reward. Even if you ate the pizza, but also a salad, this is a step forward and equally worth celebrating!
Positivity always wins
Our final tip in sticking to your new year resolution is to stay positive! A shift to a more positive mindset will do wonders in aiding you to reach your new goals.
A positive mindset will help you keep pushing forward even in moments of failure. Instead of thinking of a setback as a total loss, remember that each day is a new opportunity for you to improve. Believe that you will achieve your goal and you will!
