Setting a New Year’s resolution is a great way to start the year. Whether you want to lose weight, save money, start a business or reach targets at work, setting goals and disciplining yourself at the start of the year by setting New Year’s resolutions is a great way ensure you get closer to where you want to be. But are you one to set New Years’ resolutions every year, just to forget about them after a matter of months, weeks, or even days? You’re not alone! Research states that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. Whether you begin to slow down with the personal training sessions, go back to eating junk food or fail to hit your sales targets at work, most people will not fulfill their New Year’s resolutions due to a lack of ambition, discipline or focus. What is important is staying focused on your goals, reminding yourself daily why you’ve set your New Year’s resolutions and implementing changes into your day to help you achieve them. Here are 10 tips that should help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions for 2019 and help make sure you stay on track.
1. Write them down
I previously wrote an article on the blog of Freelance Broker about goal setting and how important writing down your goals is. In this article on Forbes, research shows that you’re 20% – 40% more likely to reach your goals by picturing them vividly and writing them down. If you’re aiming to cut down on calories by wiping out junk food, maybe it is a good idea to leave a message on your fridge telling you to eat healthy foods. If you’re trying to meet your sales targets in the office, it might be a good idea to write your New Year’s resolutions on a post-it note and stick it on your laptop where it is always in sight. Having your New Year’s resolutions written and kept in a place you’ll constantly see it will serve as a reminder to keep you on track and ensure you reach your goals.
2. Be realistic
It is great to be enthusiastic whilst setting your New Year’s resolutions, however it is always important to stay realistic to ensure you have a good chance of sticking to them. Be realistic by setting New Year’s resolutions that take you out of your comfort zone and require you to push yourself, but are possible to stick to and achieve.
3. Break them down across the year
Being specific with your goals and breaking them down into mini goals spread across the year is a great way to ensure you meet them. If you’re aiming to lose 15kg in a year as your New Year’s resolution, instead set a goal to lose 1.25kg a month, and check your weight monthly to see if you’re on track. Similarly if you’re setting a work related goal, such as for example making sure you make over £100,000 in 2019 in your sales job, break your goal down and aim to earn around £8,500 a month in commissions, or to be more specific £2,125 a week, and then figure out what you need to be doing on a monthly or weekly basis in order to achieve this goal. Once you know what needs to be done it is simply a matter of implementing the correct changes into your day.
4. Don’t push yourself too hard
Setting an unrealistic goal that requires you to work 16+ hour days every day of the year will be sure to add you to the 80% of people who fail their New Year’s resolutions by the beginning of February. As well as making sure your New Year’s resolutions are realistic and achievable, make sure you don’t push yourself too hard by allowing yourself time to breathe. If you’re working tirelessly doing sales from 9 to 5 everyday in order to meet your sales targets then make sure you get some downtime at the weekend and in the evenings.
5. Do it with a friend
Setting a New Year’s resolution with a friend or colleague is a great way to help you both achieve it. If you’re both looking to lose weight then you could join the gym or take personal training classes together, or if you’re working in a sales job maybe you can compete with a colleague to hit the same targets. Having somebody there to push you along the way is proven to help you reach your goals.
6. Set reminders
One of the reasons why 80% of people fail their New Year’s resolutions by February is because they simply forget they were doing them in the first place. If you’re having a hectic month back at work in January or busy at home looking after the family, it can be easy to become distracted and forget about your goals. By setting weekly reminders on your computer or smart phone, you’ll be constantly reminded about your New Year’s resolutions to help you avoid getting off track. There are goal setting apps you can download which can help you keep track of your progress, or you could simply set a reminder on your calendar app every week, and then make notes at the end of the week if necessary.
7. Share your New Year’s resolutions
Sharing your New Year’s resolutions with friends, family or colleagues is a great way to help you fulfill them. By sharing your goals with people around you, you’re more likely to get friendly support as well as reminders which will help you on your journey. You may even speak to somebody with a similar New Year’s resolution who can help you with tips and advice.
8. Expect failure along the way
The act of breaking our habits and learning new ones is not an easy one. Whether you’re trying to boost your productivity at work, stop smoking or give up junk food, you can expect your former bad habits to come back around every once in a while, but it is always important to not beat yourself up about it, and instead get back on track. If you’ve had a slow week in the office you always have a chance to turn it around. Leave the bad week in the past and make sure the following week you’re performing at 100%.
9. Get started in December
Start making changes in December to help you be in the 20% of people who fulfill their New Year’s resolutions by February. If you have 2 weeks off like most people, instead of just enjoying the Christmas spirit, take some time out to do all you can to get to where you want to be in 2019. If you’re looking to smash your sales targets at work every month, why not spend some time watching sales videos, researching your market and writing notes. Similarly if you’re looking to get fit for 2019, why not start your jogging right now?
10. Reward yourself
Make sure you reward yourself for your hard work. As previously discussed, breaking your old habits and replacing them with new ones is not easy and the last thing you want to do is become burned out. If your New Year’s resolution is to save money, for example £10,000, maybe consider treating yourself to a weekend away once you hit that figure as a reward for all the nights out and expensive coffees you turned down in order to save that money.
So there are 10 tips you can use to help better yourself and achieve your goals in 2019. If times get tough and you do experience burnout, remember to always remind yourself about why you set your New Year’s resolutions in the first place and the pot of gold at the end of the tunnel when you get to where you want to be. Best of luck!
Written by Oliver Court of Nexus Digital Marketing
