5 tips to follow and achieve your New Year's resolution
New Year's Eve is just around the corner and it's the time when most of us make a long list of things we wish to achieve in the upcoming year. However, such lists have often made their way to the bin, taking all our "new year, new me" mojo along. To prevent that, follow these tips to actually achieve your New Year's resolution.
Be realistic about your goals
More often than not, we make resolutions out of toxic positivity, which is among the many reasons why we don't achieve what we plan to. To avoid that, be realistic about your goals and be considerate of the time, effort, and resources they could exhaust. Refrain from using extreme words like "never," "no," "always," etc. in your goals as they counter-act more.
Don't make multiple goals for the year
When progressing into the new year, it is human to eliminate or reduce doing a lot of things. However, working on removing them all at once could backfire, which leads to another year of not achieving anything you planned. Instead, only include one or two goals that demand your urgent attention. Too many goals can easily lead to distractions instead of helping you focus.
Make a "pros" and "cons" list for each goal
Once you've decided what you want to achieve, list down the "pros" and "cons" for each goal. Doing this can serve as an additional motivation to work toward them. You can also ask your family or friends to contribute to this so that you know how important it is to achieve your goals that year. Refer to this list as often as possible.
Reward yourself on achieving a goal
Rewarding yourself can keep you confident and motivated to tick off what's on your resolutions for the year. However, this doesn't mean you will eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution has been to stay fit. Instead, reward yourself with healthy things associated with it. If you have become fitter, for instance, celebrate by buying new activewear or a new bicycle.
Don't beat yourself up for once-in-a-while failures
There's a very thin line difference between dedication and obsession, and in this case, abstain from falling for the latter. Know that it is okay to allow once-in-a-while goof-ups, miss-outs, accidents, omissions, avoidance, and ignorance. Focus on giving your best each day and if things don't turn up as expected, rest and come back for it the next morning. Pause but don't stop!
