Top 5 Ways to Actually Accomplish your New Years Resolutions
Introduction
Let’s face it: New Year’s resolutions are rarely accomplished. In fact, studies show that only 8% of people actually keep their resolutions by February. And yet, every year millions and millions of people still make them in hopes of achieving them. We decided to figure out why so many people don’t accomplish their resolutions—and how you can actually succeed at achieving your goals in 2023. Here are our top 5 tips for making a resolution you won't break after three weeks. Let's make 2023 your year!
Set realistic goals.
The first thing you should do is set realistic goals. This might seem like a no-brainer, but it's important to remember. If your goal is too vague or too easy, it won't be very motivating to work towards achieving it—and if your goal is too hard and unrealistic, then you're setting yourself up for failure.
To make sure that your goal is achievable but still challenging enough, it's best to break down what needs to be done into smaller steps so that achievements along the way keep you motivated to keep moving forward. For example: "I want to lose 20 pounds." That might be an admirable goal—but how are you going to do that? You could start by giving yourself daily exercise goals (i.e., "I'll go for a 30 minute walk every day this week") and eating more healthfully (i.e., replacing soda with water), which are both manageable ways of working toward your larger goal of losing 20 pounds over time without feeling overwhelmed by the process itself! You also want to be specific in your goal setting. Instead of saying “I want to lose 20 pounds” say “by January of 2024 I want to have lost 20 pounds. I will achieve this by losing approximately 2 pounds a month through clean eating and 30min/5days per week at the gym”.
Keep your resolutions to yourself.
If you're like me, you might be the kind of person who shares your resolutions with everyone. I always feel like it's a good idea to share my goals as soon as possible because then they are more likely to be achieved. But in all reality, sharing your resolutions may actually do more harm than good!
If we think about it logically: when we share our goals with others, our motivation is weakened because there is less of a sense of urgency, importance, and excitement associated with those goals. The longer we wait until the goal has been met and accomplished, the less important it becomes (at least subconsciously).
Write a Detailed Plan
Write a detailed plan of the goal (As much detail as possible!)
Break it down into smaller steps
Write down the time and date for each step
Stick to your plan, even if you don't feel motivated
Know that Motivation Comes Later
You know that feeling you get when you're about to do something, like the excitement of a race? It's called dopamine. Dopamine is the motivation chemical of the brain. The more action you take, the more it releases dopamine into your system and makes you feel good about all of your hard work. Even if what you're doing isn't fun or exciting right now, there's no doubt that at some point later, after taking action and getting things done, dopamine will kick in as a reward for all your hard work!
Some people call this phenomenon "Dopamine-driven development" because they believe that motivation comes after a certain amount of work is done (rather than before). It sounds counterintuitive but it actually makes sense: if I tell myself "I'm going to write an essay today", then there isn't much motivation available because I haven't actually started writing yet! But once I sit down at my computer and open up my word processor…well then there's plenty of motivation lying around waiting for me! So, if you don't feel motivated to start working towards accomplishing your goals that's okay! Take the action steps everyday towards your goals and motivation will come later (when dopamine is released).
Create a Vision Board
First, you need to create a vision board. Essentially, this is a collage of images and quotes that represent what you want your life to look like one year from now. For example, if I wanted to start exercising regularly and eating healthier food in 2023, my vision board would include pictures of me running on the beach or lifting weights at the gym with my friends.
To make your own vision board:
Choose the location where you will place it so that it’s easy for you to see every day (e.g., next to your bed, work desk, or even as the wallpaper to your phone).
Print out photos from magazines or use magazine clippings as inspiration for creating yours! If nothing else works well enough then try looking up “flashcards" online instead! They're also great because they don't take up much space either which means they could even fit into an envelope once done making them easy enough too keep track off while traveling too - just keep in mind though since these aren't technically legal forms off identification so don't try going through Customs wearing only this type off document unless absolutely necessary!!!
You can also create a collage electronically on apps like CANVA. You can use the FREE version they offer.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that the New Year is a time of resolutions, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to keep. If you have trouble making and keeping your goals, here are some tips on how to make them work for you in 2023.
Take one thing at a time.
The overwhelming feeling of promise can be overwhelming and paralyze people from taking action. Instead of trying to do everything at once, start small by creating one resolution per month until the end of the year when you will have accomplished all six months worth of goals!
Don't forget about your daily routine! One way to accomplish more is by finding ways to integrate good habits into your life so it becomes second nature for you. For example: if every morning I wake up at 8am rather than 7am, then that extra hour in bed feels like a bonus instead of something I lost sleep over not getting done during daylight hours because I'm too busy worrying about other stuff...like blog posts or meeting deadlines!
