How to make a New Year’s Resolution that sticks

Have you set your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you always find yourself making the same one year in year out or are they different? Do you accomplish it or forget about it by February?

Setting attainable goals instead of making sweeping New Year's Resolutions will mean you’re more likely to achieve what you set out to do and have your best year ever!

So let’s get started!

Here are a questions to help you figure out what you’d like to accomplish in 2020. Grab a pen and paper and sit down and have a good think about your answers.

Ask yourself:

• What do I want to do?
• Who do I want to see?
• Where would I like to go?
• What can I share with others?
• Who do I want to be?

Then consider different areas of your life:

• What are my financial goals?
• How do I want to grow my personal development?
• What material items would be nice to have?
• How will I spend time with my family?
• What lifestyle changes do I need to make?
• How does my social circle and life look 12 months from now?

After you’ve worked your way through the questions it’s time to look at your goals again.

By setting goals in specific categories you can focus on balancing your life, making sure you’re giving every area the attention it deserves. If you find yourself with 10 work goals and 2 family goals, then something is of kilter – and the same goes for the other way around. Aim to have 1-2 goals per category to work on.

Some of your goals might take longer than 12 months and that’s okay, you can break them down into 1, 3, 5 and 10+ years if you’ve got aspirations for that far into the future.

Only 10% of people write down their goals. Out of that 10% only 2% create a plan to achieve them. Be the 2%!

1. Focus on one thing at a time.

Your list may be made up of 10 to 12 goals but choose one to focus on at a time.

For example, if one of your goals is to lose weight then achieving it will help you keep up with your kids for your family goals. By choosing to focus on one thing, you can stop yourself from feeling overwhelmed.

Remember, your goals don’t have to be year long, you can always set new ones throughout the year.

2. Set SMART goals.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-Sensitive.

Creating a SMART goal helps you figure out the hows of achieving it, if you say you want to lose weight then set yourself a target, say 10kgs, this is a specific, measurable target. Then decide when you’re aiming to achieve it, say June. That’s a healthy time frame to lose the weight without compromising your health.

Now you have your goal it’s time to make a plan to make it a reality. Invest in yourself and make life easier, for example, having healthy lunches delivered every day so you don’t have to worry about prepping! A quick weekly order and you’re done!

3. Make your goals mean something.

Set your goals for you, not for anyone else. This will help keep you motivated and moving forward.

Also, make sure your goals are within your control, you can’t set a goal for someone else.

4. Write it down.

Goals written down are goals achieved. Write it down and put it somewhere you’re going to see it every day. It will keep your purpose fresh in your mind and keep you motivated.

5. Can you commit to your goals?

Have you ever noticed how on January 1^st the gym is packed with new members but by April it’s back to the regulars? It’s because people don’t plan ahead. They make promises they can’t keep, like going to the gym 5 days a week when they have a busy 9 to 5, two kids and prior commitments that eventually they realise they don’t have time and just give up.

Make sure you can commit to your goal and that you’re being realistic about your promises. If you’ve got a busy life start with hitting the gym or signing up for a class two evenings a week, then see how that fits into your real life.

Consider what you’ll need to reach your goal; a gym membership, equipment, a savings account? Can you afford what you need, do you have access to them?

What do you need to know before starting? Do you need help from anyone?

6. Break down your goals.

You’ll want to break your goal into small, bite-size pieces to help you succeed. By taking it 1 week at a time, you can celebrate your progress and stay motivated.

For example, your goal is to lose 10kg by June, so you have two options, you could jump on the latest fad diet and hope for the best…let’s be honest, that never works.

 Or you set yourself a weekly goal like tracking your calories and working out a little each day in order to lose 0.5kg a week. Far more effective in the long term.

7. Have a plan.

Now that you’ve got your goals in place you need to come up with a plan to keep yourself accountable. Track your progress and stay on top of things then see how quickly you start achieving.

8. Tell People.

Put your goals out there, make them real. It can be scary, it is essential.

9. Remind yourself regularly.

Sometimes life gets in the way but there are lots of ways to keep yourself on track . Write your goal down on a post it note and put it on your bathroom mirror so you’ll see it every morning. Create a lock screen wallpaper for your phone so you see it every time you pick it up.

10. Celebrate your successes.

Rewarding yourself for working hard is a great way to stay motivated and keep positive energy flowing! (Just remember, your reward should not go against your goal).

Give yourself time to earn the reward though, don’t treat yourself for three days of commitment, you’ll find yourself getting derailed quickly.

Get ready to see amazing things happen!