How To Make A New Year’s Resolution – And Stick To It!

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Many people make New Year’s resolutions because they want to achieve certain goals and improve themselves. But, sadly, over half of these resolutions fail despite all the willpower and hard work behind them. So, how do you make a resolution that you can successfully keep?

Keep reading to find out the reasons why you may have been having trouble keeping your past resolutions. We’ll also tell you how to make a New Year’s resolution you can stick to, so you can reach your milestones!

Why Do New Year’s Resolutions Fail So Often?

With the start of a new year comes the desire to work on yourself. Whether it’s acquiring a new skill or improving your proficiency, these can all be good for overall self-improvement. We know it’s good for our development, so why is it so hard to work on it and stick to it? Here are common reasons why New Year’s resolutions fail!

They’re Too Vague

“Be nicer to your colleagues” or “Get better at conversational Spanish” sound like attainable goals. But when you think about it, these have no way of measuring one’s success at working on them. How do you “become nicer” or “get better”?

Without having a concrete way to see how far you’ve come towards your goal, it can be hard to measure your success. If there’s no way to really measure your success, it’s hard to see how far you’ve come and how much more you still want to achieve. That can lead to people giving up halfway, even when they have the resources and time to keep pushing. Vague resolutions almost always fail for this reason!

They’re Based On Peer Pressure

The power of social media and peer pressure shouldn’t be taken lightly! Let’s face it: how much of your New Year resolve was shaped by your personal desire, and how much of it was because you felt it was something you should be doing based on what everyone else would say?

Because many people like to document their journey to achieving goals through social media, we tend to look at what they’re working on and ask ourselves if this is also something we should be doing. So do you really want to watch 100 movies this year, or are you doing it because you want to look more cultured and sophisticated to your friends?

Think very hard about whether you are making a resolution that is truly beneficial for you, or if you’re working on it simply because it earns you social media points.

There’s No Realistic Planning Behind Them

Even if a resolution is very clear, you may not have a realistic plan to achieve it. Let’s say you want to learn how to cook all the recipes in Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Have you thought about when to schedule your dish preparation, or where to shop for ingredients?

A clear goal doesn’t matter if you don’t find ways to give yourself the tools to achieve it. Be honest with yourself about scheduling issues, financial concerns, and willpower limits. Then, you can construct a solid plan to achieve your resolutions.

How Do You Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution?

Now that you know why New Year’s resolutions fail, here are some great tips that will help you create a concrete resolution that you can successfully achieve. Use these as your guidelines, and you can’t go wrong!

Be Realistic About Your Goals

Know your limits in terms of your schedule and your physical and mental health – this keeps your resolutions clearer and within your reach. Don’t set grand goals that you will struggle to work towards, simply because you felt it was “the right thing” or something you “had” to do.

Keep Your Goals Relevant

Is this a goal you’re setting for yourself for the right reasons? If you’re setting your sights on a goal because of self-hatred or a moment of intense emotion, you may struggle later down the line to justify the work that goes into it. If you gradually build a process that’s geared towards your self-improvement as opposed to a fleeting emotion, you are more likely to stick to that resolution and successfully work on it.

Make Your Resolution Measurable

This is most true for those trying to lose weight or achieve a fitness-related goal, but it’s also helpful for those trying to cut back on unhealthy habits. For example, if you want to put a stop to your sugary drink habit, tell yourself you’re only allowed to have a drink over 50 calories once a week. Log it in your journal as a reminder. This will help you track habits that hinder or reinforce your progress towards your resolution!

Plan Ahead

Don’t be foolish. We can’t stick to our wellness plan 100% of the time. After all, if you’re on this website, I imagine that travel and adventure is part of your everyday life. So plan ahead for special events and travel experiences. Consider planning healthy travel adventures, too!

Remember: Resolutions Are A Journey!

Sticking to your New Year’s resolution will require constant work and the ability to cope with setbacks and failures. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you struggle.

If you follow these simple guidelines, you will be able to set resolutions that are not only easier to achieve but will also yield more realistic, obvious results over time. Try them for yourself and see how much they will help in achieving your goals!

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Also, while we do our best to highlight LGBTQ-friendly destinations and businesses, info provided is based solely on personal experience and recommendations by community partners. We hope that nobody experiences discrimination or homophobia while visiting Florida, but we make no guarantees. Please inform us if you experience discrimination or homophobia while visiting any destination so we can make updates to our recommendations.

Rachel Covello

Rachel Covello is an award-winning speaker, writer, diversity consultant, and LGBT advocate. She was the Founder of LGBT Equality Alliance, a Chester County, PA nonprofit organization. She is currently the Publisher of OutCoast.com and Producer of the OutCoast TV YouTube Channel, both of which highlight LGBTQ welcoming destinations in Florida.

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