10 Foolproof Ways To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
According to studies, around 80% of all New Year’s resolutions in 2012 will fail. That is a disheartening statistic considering that most resolutions are made to make our lives happier and healthier. The question is: How can you actually stick to and achieve Your New Year’s resolutions In 2021?
It’s easy to say “I’m going to exercise more this year” but it’s much harder to follow through on such a vague goal. I have found that one of the problems with following through on New Year’s resolutions is failing to take time to reflect on your goals and to really plan them out.
I have definitely fallen into this trap. This year, I plan on doing things a little differently.
Here are 10 tips to help you kick-start the year. make a plan that you’ll actually stick to, and achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2021.
1. Visualize your goal | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Setting a vague goal like,, “I’m going to eat healthier this year” sets you up for almost certain failure.
Instead, visualize yourself executing this goal. What does that look like, smell like, sound like, and, in this case, taste like? What does it feel like to execute this goal? Why is this goal so important to you? If you achieved this goal what would that mean for your lifestyle or your happiness?
Once you have a better idea of why You are interested in pursuing a goal and what it will take to do so, you will be far more prepared to execute it.
2. Make Room for Your Goal | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Have a dedicated space where you will practice your goal, Take the time no to make sure it is a space you enjoy being in.
Think back to your visualization exercise:
Are you practicing yoga in space with plenty of natural light, plants, and essential oils? Are you working on your writing or study skills in a tidy office space? Are you cooking up delicious, healthy meals in a spotless and well-organized kitchen?
It’s time to make those visions a reality. Gather the materials that you need before you start working on your goal. This could mean finally clearing off your desktop, a trip to the local plant store, or finally buying that drawer organizer for your junk drawer.
3. Invest in Your Goal | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Spending some money or time preparing to make your goal happen will make you more likely to follow through on it.
If your goal is to exercise more, invest in a new piece of equipment or workout outfit that you’re excited about using (even if it’s just a $4 jump rope). If your goal is to be more creative, buy a new watercolor set or sign up for an online art class or workshop. If your goal is to eat healthier, purchase a meal kit service.
Having something that you’re excited about using or receiving each week will make you actually want to pursue your goal. Likewise, something you invest time or money into is something you will be less likely to abandon.
4. Get Nostalgic | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
One great way to keep your goal fun is to think about what was enjoyable about your goal activity when you were a kid.
For example, if your goal is to exercise more think about your favorite childhood activities. Was it jumping rope, roller skating, karate, or gymnastics? Guess what? Those are still all great forms of exercise! Build your goals around these activities.
Research what’s available in your community. Manny gymnastic facilities and skating rinks, for example, offer adult classes or adult only hours.
Similarly, if your goal is to read more. think about what you enjoyed reading as a kid. If you loved American Girl stories, try some female-centric historical fiction. If you couldn’t put down that Nancy Drew novel as a kid, try picking up a true-crime novel.
5 . Write a S.M.A.R.T Goal | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
S.M.A.R.T is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This is essential in turning your goal from a broad idea into something you can actually take action on and hold yourself accountable to. Let’s break it down:
Specific:
Instead of a broad goal like, “I will read more” try getting more specific like, “I will read nonfiction news articles that relate to my work in finance.” Instead of saying, I will eat healthier, try, “I will eat a vegetarian and Mediterranean style diet.” “I want to be more creative” may become, ” I want to take an art class to learn how to use a clay wheel and kiln.”
Measurable:
If you want to follow through on a goal, it needs to be measurable so that you can track your progress. A goal for eating healthier may be to introduce 1 new vegetable into your diet each week. A goal for being better at keeping in touch with loved ones might mean setting up a Zoom call one time a week. Being measurable means attaching a number to your goal that you can easily track.
Achievable:
Set a goal for yourself that is realistic and actually doable. This may sound simple, but it is the downfall of many goals. Setting a goal like, ” I will exercise for 40 minutes every day as soon as I get home from work” sounds like a great goal. However, if you have kids for other obligations, it may not be very realistic.
Once you slip up on this ambitious goal a few times, you may start to feel defeated and give up. Instead, it’s much better to start with a simple goal that you know you can accomplish. Once you have that feeling of success, you will be more encouraged to keep going and to set more ambitious goals.
Relevant:
Set a goal that is meaningful to you, that connects to your life in some way, or that is relevant to a need or a hope that you have.
Obviously, there’s no point setting a daily cleaning goal for yourself when your house is already spotless. Likewise, it’s probably not a good idea to set a goal of riding an exercise bike when you hate that form of exercise.
Instead, align your goals with your interests and your desires. For example, if you want to read more and have an interest in travel, subscribe to Travel and Leisure magazine or check out some nonfiction travel books from the library.
Time-bound:
New Years’ resolutions are often flawed from the get-go because people are thinking in year-long cycles. Starting your goal with, “this year I want to…” is absolutely the wrong way to go about it.
Instead, break your goal into smaller sections of time. You should be tracking and then reflecting on your goal at least every 4 weeks.
Don’t skip this step!!!!! Writing a S..M.A.R.T goal will be essential if you want to achieve Your New Year’s resolutions In 2021!
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6. Make it Easy | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Is there something that you can do to make following through on your goal even easier? Do it!
I had a friend who wanted to start exercising before work but had a hard time getting up early. She started sleeping in her workout clothes so that she could just get up and go. It worked for her!
If you’re trying to eat healthier, use an online service to deliver groceries to your door. This saves time and eliminates impulse purchases.
If your goal is to write more, take a notebook with you wherever you go so that you are ready whenever inspiration strikes.
7. Build in an Incentive | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Think about how you’re going to reward yourself for sticking to your goals. It’s a big accomplishment and you deserve it!
It can be a small daily reward like getting to have a glass of wine after you’ve done your 15 minutes of cleaning or only watching a special TV show once you’re on your exercise bike. Or, it can be something bigger and less frequent like treating yourself to a nice meal out after five consecutive days of healthy home-cooked meals.
8. Enlist Accountability Partners | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Let’s face it, it’s more fun with friends!
Find friends with similar goals and team up! If your goal is to exercise more, sign up for a kickboxing class with a coworker who will keep you motivated after work. You can also incorporate your goal into fun group activities like organizing an outing to a trampoline park.
Your goal can also turn into an opportunity to make new friends who will help you stay accountable. For example, if your goal is to read or write more, you can join a book club or writers group. Don’t have one available to you? Start one!
9. Create a Routine | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Set up a routine around your goal and start following it.
If you’re having trouble finding the motivation to start exercising, set a routine, and make it a point to put on your exercise clothes every day at a certain time. You don’t even need to think about exercise. Just put on the clothing.
If you don’t exercise, fine.
Chances are though that once you have the clothes on you’ll end up doing some form of exercise.
As another example, if your goal is to write a book, make it a habit of writing for at least 15 minutes a day. Even if what you write is not good or you never even re-read or re-visit it, you are starting to build a habit. Eventually you will write something great!
10. Re-visit, Reflect on, and Re-evaluate your Goal | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
Goals don’t need to be set in stone. This comes back to your S.M.A.R.T goal and making sure that it is measurable and time-bound. Think about how often do you were able to achieve your goal in the time frame given. Do you need to make your goal less rigorous, more rigorous, or keep it the same?
Are you enjoying keeping up with your goal? What can you do to make it more fun or add variety?
Are your incentives and accountability pieces still working? What needs to be adjusted?
Let’s Do This! | Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions In 2021
As you work towards your goals and start to achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2021, always keep in mind why you set that goal to begin with.
Whether you have an ambitious but very achievable goal of becoming healthier, more financially stable, happier, more organized, more productive, or more life-work balanced, remember that the focus it’s all about you. Remember that you are amazing and you can do it!
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