It's the end of the year again, the time when many people sit down and reflect on the events of the last year. Of course, some things were good and some were bad, and you have probably drawn your own conclusion as to whether you had a good year or a bad one. If yours was bad, you are most likely determined to make next year a good one, and if yours was good, you want next year to be even better. One of the ways people try to do this is by making New Year's resolutions. These give us a sense of control over our lives and make us think we can decide whether or not we are going to have a good year.
While it's always good to make goals for ourselves, the majority of people will break their New Year's resolutions by the end of the first month. It can be difficult to break old habits and establish new ones, especially when you are trying to make a number of changes at once. If you want to be successful in your goals, here are a few tips to help you achieve them.
Dump Resolutions & Set Small Goals
Goals can be much easier to achieve if you turn one goal into a bunch of smaller goals. Having these bite-sized pieces can help you see what you are achieving, which makes it more likely that you will succeed in your ultimate goal. Instead of saying you want to lose 50 pounds before the end of the year, set some monthly goals. For example, divide the 50 up by 12 to see how many pounds you should lose each month. When you do this, you will see you only need to lose about four pounds each month, or slightly less than a pound a week. This makes your goal seem much easier to achieve, which makes it more likely you are going to complete it.
Set Monthly Goals
Instead of deciding all of the resolutions you are going to make effective January 1st, try making a goal for each month. It can be a health goal, a religious goal, or a relationship goal. Anything goes as long as you stick with it. They say it takes roughly three weeks to establish a new habit. When you set a new goal monthly, you are giving yourself that time and then a little extra to make sure it is well established. Some simple goals could be attending church more regularly, eating a fruit and/or vegetable with each meal, or flossing your teeth every day.
Obviously, you will need to tailor your goals for what fits you. But if you are successful, you will have established 12 new good habits by the end of the year. Think about how good that will feel.
Find Some Accountability
When you have someone who is pushing you and encouraging you to achieve your goals, you are much more likely to achieve them. Let's say you want to start reading your bible every day. You can let a friend know and tell him or her you will send a text after you have finished your reading for the day. There are even bible apps you can download on your phone that will show your friends your progress. Offer to help your accountability partner with some of his or her goals as well so that you are both helping each other.
Setting goals is a much better way of improving yourself than New Year's resolutions. You will be more likely to achieve your goals if you make them into smaller goals as well as if you incorporate them throughout the year instead of all at once. Don't forget to find an accountability partner who can help you make sure you are staying on track.
