Have you made a New Year’s resolution? As we’re nearing the end of January, now is the perfect time to learn some tips that can help you keep on track with your resolutions and goals.
After all, many people will give up on their New Year’s resolutions in the first two months of the year. However, following our tips is a sure way to get you back on track with your resolutions!
Keep reading to learn more about New Year’s resolutions, and how you can keep on track with them.
What Is A New Year’s Resolution?
A New Year’s resolution is a personal resolution that you set yourself. They should last throughout the year and are often set to change bad behaviour to keep up positive behaviour. For example, ‘I will stop biting my nails’, or ‘I will become a friendlier person’. However, it’s best to refine them so they become more achievable.
New Year’s resolutions are essentially goals, so they should follow the SMART framework in order to increase the chances of success.
SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Any goal or resolution can be tailored to match the SMART framework. For example, if your goal is to stop smoking, then you could make it a SMART goal by changing it to ‘I want to go 2 weeks without a cigarette’ or ‘I want to go a month without vaping’ and then ‘I want to go 3 months without smoking’, and ultimately ‘I want to be completely smoke-free by the end of the year’.
Giving yourself a deadline is a great way to motivate yourself – however, make sure that the deadline is achievable. If you don’t think you’ll manage it as the deadline approaches, then you can always adjust it – but it’s best to start with a realistic deadline.
The deadlines for New Year’s resolutions are usually at the end of the year when it’s time to set another one. This is because New Year’s resolutions are usually life-changing resolutions, as opposed to short-term goals such as ‘I want to lose 5 lbs’.
Is It Too Late To Set A New Year’s Resolution?
In short, no – it’s never too late to set a New Year’s resolution. This is because New Year’s resolutions are simply goals, and you can set goals whenever you like.
If you’ve already set yourself some resolutions and you’ve forgotten about them, it’s not too late to revisit them. After all, you still have the rest of the year ahead of you to succeed!
Many people choose to ‘officially’ start their new year in February, as January often involves lots of leftover Christmas wine, food, and chocolates. There are typically lots of catching up and planning to do work-wise in January too, so why not start your New Year’s resolution at the start of February?
How Can I Keep On Track With My New Year’s Resolution?
Now you have a firmer understanding of New Year’s resolutions, it’s time to learn some tips to help you keep on track with them.
Adjust Your Goal When Necessary
Don’t be afraid to make adjustments to your New Year’s resolution when you feel like you need to. We are always changing, our environment is always changing, and there are usually things that we can’t control. It’s okay to amend your resolution if there’s an obstacle in the way, or if something has changed.
If you’d like to revisit your New Year’s resolution and make it more relevant or tailor it to your circumstances, click here for our tips on how to set a New Year’s Resolution.
However, if you adjust your resolution, be sure to make a mental note of why you did this. Was it because there was an obstacle? Was the resolution no longer relevant? Or is there something you want to add? Making a note of this is sure to help you make stronger goals and resolutions in the future. It will also help you gain a better understanding of yourself and what obstacles you may face when setting goals.
Don’t Let One Slip Up Hinder You
Around two-thirds of people will give up on their New Year’s resolutions in January – and usually, it’s because they’ve already slipped up.
For example, if the resolution was to stop smoking, then they would’ve abandoned their goals just because they slipped up and had a cigarette.
Nobody is perfect, and we all slip up and make mistakes. The key is getting back on track after making a mistake and not letting it completely destroy your progress. If you slip up and ‘fail’ your New Year’s resolution, there’s nothing stopping you from acknowledging the mistake and continuing with it, trying your hardest to reach your goal.
One small slip-up doesn’t mean that the resolution is over, it means that you have encountered your first obstacle!
Be Patient With Yourself
It can be pretty difficult to change or stop a habit that you probably developed throughout many years.
The key is patience – habits, traits and behaviours don’t usually change in days or weeks – it takes time.
Even if you’re not seeing any results, keep at it and remain both dedicated and motivated. Each day that you keep up with your resolution is one step closer to reaching your final goal.
New Year’s resolutions aren’t races – they’re personal to you. What may take a year for you may take 6 months for somebody else, and vice versa.
Remember the previous point – don’t let one slip up hinder your progress. You can always restart and continue working on your goal.
Get Help From Others
It’s always easier to reach your goal or achieve your New Year’s resolution when you have help from others.
If your goal is business-orientated, why not get a business coach to help you through the process?
Networking groups and online meetings for personal development are great ways of communicating with others and getting the support you need to stick with your goal. At MOVE, we also offer Netwalking – which is a great way of networking with others while on the go!
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Mark is a multi-award winner in business networking and relationship building. He is passionate about coaching and mentoring business owners and professionals through 1-1 & group coaching, team performance workshops and group mastermind sessions.