When the New Year rolls around, many people pause and reflect and begin to make goals for the year ahead. But change can be hard, and sometimes people have trouble sticking to those newly set resolutions.
There are two common reasons for this struggle: nonspecific planning and a lack of deadline.
Here are three steps to take to help you achieve your resolutions this year.
Be specific.
When it comes to learning a new skill or self-improvement, making a specific action plan can help you achieve your New Year’s resolution.
For example, if your goal is weight loss, vow to go to the gym or exercise for a set amount of time on certain days of the week or to eat healthy lunches.
If your goal is to learn a new language, plan to complete chapters or lesson plans by a set date each week — and hold yourself accountable.
The more specific your action plan, the more realistic your goal will become. Start living the life you imagine by deciding what you want, and then taking the appropriate steps to get there.
Tell your friends and family.
No matter what you’re working toward, you’ll have a much better chance of achieving it if you make your goals public. You don’t have to blast your weight-loss journey across your social media platforms, but sharing your desires with your friends, family and coworkers can result in a fantastic support system.
These people can become a source of encouragement and strength, and they can help keep you accountable.
Set a deadline.
Deciding to change your life is an impressive step in the right direction, but you’ll have to do some legwork first. To make sure you stay on track and keep improving, set deadlines for yourself. For example, you want to read one professional development book by the end of each month.
Having a deadline should motivate you, not scare you. If the deadline seems too daunting, you can modify it to be more realistic.
Once you reach your deadline, you can evaluate your results and reflect on what you’ve learned. This will help you make more efficient deadlines in the future.
Try following these three steps to help reach your resolutions in 2021. There’s no time like the present to get started changing your life for the better!