How to Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

The start of 2022 is rapidly approaching, and with that comes the yearly tradition of New Year’s resolutions. But many people struggle to stick to these resolutions and stop within the first few months, if not days. However, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are some ways to help you stick to your resolutions and achieve all your goals in 2022.

Make Your Goals Specific

Instead of making your resolutions very broad such as “read more,” try making a more concrete goal, such as “read 12 books in 2022.” This will make your goals more realistic and make sure you have a plan on exactly how you will reach them.

Don’t Go Overboard

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, the temptation is to think that more is better. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, setting too many goals can make you feel overwhelmed and lose motivation for achieving them. Instead, try choosing fewer resolutions and focusing on one at a time to stay motivated.

Detailed Planning is Key

When making your goals, set out a detailed plan with steps that you need to take to achieve this goal. This way, you have a direction for your goals, and it will make your goals more realistic to attain.

For example, if you want to read 12 books in the new year (one each month), consider making a list of at least six books you’d like to read. Then put reminder dates in your phone for the first of each month to buy a book or check it out of your local library. 

Baby Steps

Along with making a detailed plan, you should also start with small steps in order to achieve your goals. Taking on too much too quickly does not often end well. If you take small steps to achieve your goals, in the long run, you will be more likely to keep up with these new habits.

Following the “read 12 books” idea, you might consider setting intermediate goal. For example, if the book you want to read is 400 pages, set a reminder each Saturday to make sure you read at least 100 pages the prior week.

Remember Your Motivation

Finally, it’s important to remember why you started working on these goals. It is normal to lose motivation after a while, but remembering why you started can help renew that motivation and achieve your goals. One possibility is to post motivating messages on your calendar through once or twice a week to remind you of your resolution and to help you get back and stay on track if you forget.

Check out your phone for apps which you can download that are designed to help you keep resolutions, such as the New Year’s Resolutions Tracker on the Apple App Store.