A Guide to New Year’s Resolutions-For Real!

Are you one of those people who sets your New Year’s resolutions at the huge party on the last day of the year while dancing with your seventh glass of wine? What usually happens the next day is either A) you probably don’t remember it or B) you will just take it back because you weren’t serious. 2022 has been a crazy time, and there is no reason to expect anything less moving into 2023.

If for any reason you feel stuck, lost or clueless about what kind of changes you should set up for yourself in 2023, let us just give you a couple of examples from one of our favourite movies “Bridget Jones’s Diary”. We all love Bridget and she was a master at developing her New Year’s resolutions:

1) Always put last night’s panties in the laundry basket.
2) Find a nice and sensible boyfriend to go out with and not continue to form romantic attachments with any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, megalomaniacs or perverts.
3) Drink less and quit smoking.
4) Save money.
5) Exercise more – preferably at least three times a week. And not just a stroll in the gym to buy a sandwich.
6) Keep New Year’s resolutions.

Isn’t that last one the key?! Unfortunately, statistics are not on our side. About 60 – 70% of us make a New Year’s resolution every year, but a very small percentage actually stick with it. Most of us give up within a couple of weeks. So what can we actually do to keep up with our plans and goals?

1. Write down your resolutions 

There is a saying that goes “If you want to achieve your goal, write it down.” According to many studies on the subject, you have a better chance to stick with your resolution if you write it down by hand on the paper. Then you can post it somewhere where it’s very visible and make sure that you will look at it every day. We are visual creatures, and we remember things much better this way. 

2. Dream big, but break it down into small steps

We always have to remember that sky’s the limit, and we are the CEOs of our own lives. There are no stupid dreams, and we all have to believe in ourselves just a little bit more. Instead of putting a huge, overwhelming goal on our shoulders why don’t we take it slow and easy? Don’t set up a goal like “I want to lose 10 kilograms and have a slim and toned body in one month” because it is unrealistic and you probably cannot achieve it in a healthy way. When a writer decides to write a book, first he or she needs to start with pages, then chapters and then after some time the whole book will come together. Small goals reached daily or weekly will make you feel proud and happy. 

3. Change the language

If your goal is to lose weight, quit smoking, reduce your alcohol consumption, or anything else, changing how you talk to yourself is essential to get the results you want in life. Sometimes words like “should” or “must” may bring unpleasant feelings of guilt, anxiety, or shame. When we use more self-empowering language we can achieve the same results without all of these negative emotions. How do you feel when you say, “I’m going to do this”, “I’m going to succeed,” or “I was born for this”? It seems like a tiny adjustment, but it can give you just the right energy boost that you need to persist and achieve your goal.

4. Reward yourself for good work

Don’t wait until you cross the finish line. Remember to enjoy the process which ultimately leads to personal growth. Be compassionate with yourself and celebrate small successes with your family, friends and online community. It is such an important part of being successful in reaching our goals, and yet we often forget that. Praising others is equally as important as praising ourselves.

5. Surround yourself with cheerleaders

By cheerleaders I mean people that are your rock during good and bad days. You need people who will genuinely root for you but at the same time hold you accountable. These diamonds help you to tap into your full potential and can bring out the best in you. It can be hard to find these kinds of people, but you only need one or two to help you succeed! If you have a trouble to find cheerleaders in your life, don’t forget that thanks to the digital world, there are tons of communities with different missions who can help support you online. 

6. Change your environment

If your environment doesn’t contribute to achieving your goals, you will be exhausted from the effort of trying to go against it every day. Preparation is the key. Change your environment to avoid mistakes or temptations, and try to create habits and routines that will make your life easier and more aligned with your goals. 

7. Don’t give up after occasional slip-up

We are just humans, and nobody is perfect. Just because you made a mistake, it doesn’t mean that you should completely give up on your resolutions. I strongly believe in the “try, fail and try again” life approach. If you slip-up one day, go back to your routine the very next day. Winston Churchill said it all, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

8. Create a vision board

Have fun and create the most colourful and creative vision board for your 2021 goals! A vision board is a very powerful tool because it helps you to manifest your dreams and goals. When creating your board you should focus on how it makes you feel, not just the things you want. Feel free to fill it up with photos, pictures, quotes, affirmations, postcards and anything that makes you smile when you think about your dreams. No matter if you decide to make a physical or digital version, just make sure that you will display it somewhere visible so when you have one of those rainy days you will easily remember why you should keep going. 

9. Learn a new skill

The internet has opened up opportunities many of us would have never dreamed of 20 years ago. With all this access to near unlimited information, learning a new skill has never been easier. Some great websites you can use would include Masterclass.com, Skillshare.com, and even LinkedIn learning. You can improve communication skills, learn excel, coding, the options are truly limitless on the internet. No matter what you would like to improve, just be sure to keep in mind that it is a process. Nothing will ever come easy, and use the advice mentioned previously and use little goals to learn.

What are your New Year’s resolutions for 2023 and what is your best advice to stick to them? 
Let us know in the comments 🙂