How To Set Practical New Year’s Resolutions (You Will Actually Follow)

3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!  The turning of the year is the perfect opportunity to turn a new leaf!  One year from now, do you want to be exactly where you are now, or do you want to be closer to your goal?  Taking the time to set practical New Year’s resolutions can help you stick to them.  

Whether you’re getting a late start to the resolution game or already losing motivation to keep the promises you made to yourself, here are tips to create and stick to practical New Year’s resolutions.

If you want ideas of some practical New Year’s resolutions you can set, here are 9 healthy New Year’s resolutions.

How To Set Practical New Year’s Resolutions

Be Realistic

The first step to setting practical New Year’s resolutions is being realistic. You’re probably thinking, “Easier said than done!”  Keep your goals ambitious, but try breaking them down into smaller, more manageable parts.  If your resolution is to save a sum of money, try setting aside a small portion of your paycheck every week.  At each interval, it won’t feel like a lot, but by the time you are done collecting, you’ll be rolling in the dough!

Ask Questions

Instead of making blanket statements, try asking questions and then answering them!  Questions are puzzles and invoke a psychological response.  Once a question has been posed, your mind can’t help but trying to solve it.  Instead of pledging to get in shape, it might be more effective to ask yourself “What can I change about my daily routine to create a healthier lifestyle?”  You’ll be surprised at all of the different solutions you come up with!

Team Up

Grab a buddy or a loved one, and share your list of goals!  Now you are accountable for not only yourself, but your friend, too!  Helping your friend accomplish his or her goals will be almost as rewarding as accomplishing your own.  A pact like this can help keep you motivated and on track when you are feeling discouraged.  Bonus: If you any of your goals overlap, try working on them together!  

Track and Reward

Track your progress as you go!  Pull out your calendar or notebook and try to schedule out your goals.  With every inch closer you get to your goal, you will feel accomplished.  Choose a few benchmarks to praise yourself at.  A little reward here and there can help motivate you to keep up your awesome work!

Forgive Yourself

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Have an open mind, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t quite meet a goal one day or get a little off track.  Making mistakes is only human!  Not many people are able to reach their goal on their very first try.  Although it may be a little discouraging to mess up, it doesn’t have to be an excuse to give up.  Use it to fuel your fire and try even harder the next time!

Good luck, and remember that you have the power to make a change!  Don’t settle for average for yet another year!  Maybe you can’t accomplish every single thing, but every little step you take helps you get that much closer to being the you you want to be.