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When people struggle with their resolutions, it’s not because they’re weak or lazy. They often unwittingly set themselves up for failure with goals that are too general, hard to quantify, and unrealistic.
Here’s how you can avoid that :
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Be specific
Let’s say your resolution is to lose weight. You can break down that larger goal into smaller components, like eating a fruit or vegetable with every meal, or cutting back harmful habits like drinking to only once a week. The more specific, the better. For example, you could resolve to do 30 minutes of yoga at 7:30 a.m. every day before work. This is a more process-oriented approach that’s not as overwhelming as obsessing over a final product.
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Be measurable
If your goal is to read more, that’s great, but how much is more ? How will you know when you’ve arrived at more? Incorporating measurable steps into your overall resolution is key. You could make a time-based plan where you start with only 10 minutes of reading per night for a week, then increase that amount by 5 minutes every week until you’re at 30 minutes or an hour.
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Be achievable
It’s important that you have realistic expectations for your resolutions. It’s much harder to feel motivated to work on a challenge that seems insurmountable. For example, your goal shouldn’t be to become fluent in another language by next year. Simply turning your focus from becoming fluent to practicing French Spanish on Duolingo for 15 minutes per night will do wonders for your motivation.
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Be accountable
Having a mutual support system with a community of people who share your goals is the best way to stay on track and keep progressing. People who feel like they’re part of a communal public goal often see more success in their resolutions. You can easily create your own group and make that feeling into a reality.
Specific, measurable, and achievable resolutions are best, especially when you’re not working on your goals alone.