The holiday season is finally here; and I must say, this has always been my favorite time of year. No matter your culture or the set of beliefs you follow, this is a great time to realign with family, friends, and everyone that you truly care about. Of course, once all of the festivities are over, it’s time to look forward to the new year. And with plans to watch the ball drop and sip champagne, many of us also decide to write out our New Year’s Resolutions. Resolutions can range from aiming to get all A’s next term to finally submitting that research article to our favorite publication.
But many people find it extremely difficult to keep up with those New Year’s Resolutions as they get further along in the year. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Statistic Brain Research Institute, “41% of Americans make New Year's resolutions but only 9.2% of them are successful in achieving them” (Zantal-Wiener). Throughout this post, I will be supplying you with three tips that you can use when creating and implementing your resolutions so that you can stick with them throughout the entire new year.
Tip #1: Set Attainable Goals that Have a Plan Behind Them
Perhaps one of the most important parts of setting New Year's Resolutions is to make sure that they are attainable and realistic. There is nothing more disheartening then setting a goal for yourself that you don't even start to follow because the task seems too daunting. Instead of setting a goal to lose 20 pounds by May, instead vow to begin going to the gym three times a week and incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and water into your diet.
All or nothing statements can also become problematic. Setting a goal that you will limit eating junk food to once or twice a week is much more realistic then setting a goal that you will never eat junk food again. Be reasonable with your goals, and think about what you can and can’t ask of yourself.
Tip #2: Reward your Accomplishments
Set a reward that you feel is both equal to your initial goal and that won’t potentially set you back. Also be sure to reward your actions and not just your results. Instead of rewarding yourself for losing five pounds by going out and eating an ice cream sundae, reward yourself for going to the gym the designated amount of times that you aimed to go by buying that item online that you've been eyeing for a while.
Make sure to not reward yourself for goals that you only partially accomplished. If you didn’t meet a milestone in the resolution, rework the resolution and try again. Take internship applications, for instance. If you told yourself that you would apply to five summer internships by the middle of March and you only applied to three internships by then, do not reward yourself. Set a new goal to finish the last two applications by sometime in April, and reward yourself only if you meet the new deadline.
Tip #3: Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
Probably the most important tip that I have for you is to not be too hard on yourself. One of the biggest reasons that people do not stick to New Year’s Resolutions is that at the first mistake they make, they give up because they feel as though the entire resolution has been ruined. Setting the expectation that your New Year’s Resolution is going to go perfectly calls for unnecessary pressure, and it can make those resolutions seem more like a chore than like a fun, positive change. 
Think of your New Year’s Resolutions as less of binding commitment and as more of a promise to yourself to look closer at and work harder on certain aspects of your life. Don’t beat yourself up over having a bad day or even a bad week, as resolutions should be looked at as an overall lifestyle change.
References:
- Louise Smith, 10 Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution
- Amanda Zantal-Wiener, 11 New Year’s Resolutions You Should Actually Keep