For most of us, just as soon as the chorus of “happy new year” ends, so does the talk of resolutions. Come January 1st we’re full of optimism and hope and have plans and goals to achieve throughout the year. But as soon as the weather gets colder and our bank balances get lower, our resolutions tend to slip away.
Here’s how to make your resolutions last more than 14 days, and how to make 2016 your most productive year yet.
- Make small goals every month – Rather than saying “I want to learn to drive in 2016”, say “I want to do my first driving lesson by the end of February”. This makes your goals more manageable and less daunting.
- Put your plans into action – It’s easy to say “I want to learn Japanese”, but how about putting that plan into action? Find out where you can do Japanese lessons, how much they cost and book yourself in. These things aren’t going to organise themselves.
- Keep reminding yourself – Life can get so busy that we sometimes forget what it is we actually want to achieve. Whether it’s a vision board with images of what you want to do or looking back on your goals at the start of every week, keeping them in your mind makes them easier to achieve.
- Take a look back – Every time you achieve one of your goals, big or small, be proud of yourself. You might even achieve some small goals without realising it, so look back every so often to see how far you’ve come and motivate yourself to keep ticking things off that list.
- Tell people about what you want to do – Sharing your goals with others can really help to make you stick with them. Someone might have the same goal and might want to join in. That’s one way for sure to make you stick with them.
Ultimately, with resolutions, it’s all about changing your mindset. Resolutions aren’t for January, they’re for life.
Amy Mulvaney
Image credit: theodysseyonline.com
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