New Year’s Resolutions: How to Make 2019 the Best Yet

 

With each new year that comes, you have an opportunity to reflect on the past: the good times, the bad times and everything in between. You’ll be able to identify your successes, and where perhaps, you could have made better decisions. New Year resolutions are made to readdress the balance, to give you an opportunity to be the best version of you; however, for them to be achievable, they need to be realistic. Here’s a guide to setting resolutions that will make 2019 your best year yet:

Identify your motivations

Why do you want to improve an aspect of your life? For you to continue past the end of January with your new year resolutions, you need to really understand why the change in behavior is necessary. The authentic reason why you want to change your habits and behaviors is often different to what you believe them to be.

For example, many people chose to lose weight or get fit after the excesses of the holidays, and yet the innate reason maybe to boost their self-esteem. Really think about what your motivation is. You need to understand the whys before you tackle how to address it. By identifying your motivation, you will be able to make resolutions that best address the core issues.

Have a specific goal

When you aren’t specific with your goal, how can you measure your success? You need to articulate exactly what you want to achieve. Rather than just saying you want to work for yourself, be specific. For example, you could stipulate:

• I am going to start an e commerce business focusing on women’s fashion.
• I am going to run a marathon.
• I am going to lose a stone.

Note how these examples give a very clear goal. There is no confusion about what you want to achieve, and this is key to successful new year resolutions; there is an end in sight, and they are measurable.

Identify the steps you need to take

When you have a defined goal, you are then able to work backward and break it down into manageable objectives to help you achieve your goal. Don’t be worried that some steps may seem small if they take you in the right direction; it doesn’t matter. Your end goal will feel unobtainable now, but by breaking it down into manageable objectives, you will see that you can do it. These steps are a great motivation as you accomplish each one and will inspire you to continue.

However, when you are undertaking any challenge, there may be occasions when you slip-up and don’t stick to your plan. Do not give up! Instead, consider it as an opportunity for learning. Just think about what led to the break in your new habit or behavior, and once you have reflected, you will be alert to the reasons why it happened in the future. Do not jeopardize your long-term resolution. If you can identify the trigger for the relapse, you are still on the right track and can chalk it up to experience. Good luck!