• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
Monday, May 23, 2022
The Millennial Source
TMS
Home Lifestyle

Tips for making New Year’s resolutions that you’ll actually stick to

bySarah Rodriguesand Edited byChristine Dulion
January 5, 2021
in Lifestyle
New Year's resolutions

Source: Pexels, Polina Kovaleva

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin




Every year we attempt to improve ourselves with New Year’s resolutions. However, as motivated and excited we may be at the start of January, sometimes the goals we set for ourselves are hard to stick to. We have some tips for you this year on making New Year’s resolutions that you’ll actually stick to – so you can truly achieve the goals you’d like to set for yourself throughout 2021.

Choose specific New Year’s resolutions

Many of us have made resolutions to lose weight, save money or eat healthy; but how many of us have resolved these? Refrain from making such ambiguous New Year’s resolutions, and rather focus on curating more concrete goals which you can realistically set your sights on. 

Instead of “I will get into shape,” which is not specific, try “I want to go to the gym three times a week.” Choosing a more concrete and achievable resolution will allow you to plan how you intend to achieve your goal through the course of the year. It is important to ensure that your goals are realistic rather than drastic. In other words, being more specific with your goals will increase your chances of achieving them. 

Limit your resolutions 

You may have a long list of potential New Year’s resolutions, however, even achieving one small goal can boost your motivation. Richard Wiseman, a professor of psychology at Hertfordshire University, also suggests that choosing and focusing on one specific goal is much more meaningful than struggling to achieve a number of different objectives. 

Attempting to achieve several goals at one time can be demanding and daunting, and ultimately leads people to give up on their New Year’s resolutions. It can be particularly challenging as developing new behavioral patterns takes time and sustained effort. Focusing on a singular goal makes maintaining a resolution much more achievable. 

Make a plan for your New Year’s resolutions 

Choosing a specific goal and devising a detailed plan are essential parts of achieving any resolution. Experts suggest that brainstorming is a meaningful tactic to analyze the reasons for choosing your goals, the actions you intend to take to achieve your goals and how you will measure the success of your actions.

Creating a plan for your resolutions will also allow you to consider the tactics you will use to deal with challenges and how you intend to remain motivated and inspired to make your resolutions a reality. You can start by writing down your goal, making a list of actions you may need to take to achieve that goal and consider any obstacles or issues that you may encounter. Identifying the specific details of what you intend to accomplish and the challenges you may face will ensure that you are better prepared to maintain your resolution and overcome any obstacles that may result in setbacks to your progress. 

Your resolutions are a process 

Most of us make resolutions to change unhealthy or undesired habits which probably took us years to develop; so how can we expect to change them in just a matter of days? It is important to understand that achieving your resolutions will take time, so remember to be patient and kind to yourself. Even if you make a few mistakes, it does not mean that you are not destined to fail your resolutions. 

If you indulge in a sweet treat or take a break from your workout once in a while, remember not to punish yourself. And, if you manage to adhere to your resolutions for an entire week, treat yourself! 

While it may take longer than you would like to achieve your goals, remind yourself of the bigger picture: you have committed to a behavioral and lifestyle change – which is an accomplishment in itself – but also it may be a change that you continue to work on for the rest of your life. 

Stay motivated 

Choosing a resolution to remain committed to for an entire year – and ideally for the rest of your life – will be challenging, to say the least. If you have struggled to maintain your New Year’s resolutions in the past, remember not to lose hope. Remain driven to achieving your resolutions by finding ideas, advice or even inspiration from like-minded friends, co-workers or motivational speakers. Films, books or online forums can also be useful tools to ignite the motivation you will need to keep yourself on track. 

Begin the year with a set up for success. Create meaningful, measurable and actionable goals that will contribute to your well-being – and not simply a goal that others want to hear. With some additional planning, you will surely be able to make a change and achieve your goals. Commit to making this year, the year that you are going to stick to your resolutions. 

Have a tip or story? Get in touch with our reporters at tips@themilsource.com

Like TMS? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter

Related

Tags: HealthLifestyle
ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

Wil Fang Cookie Department

Wil Fang: The man behind the cookie, how he rolls with the punches and his plans outside of food and the city

May 21, 2022
monkeypox

Rare monkeypox cases detected in the US, Europe and UK. Here’s what you need to know

May 20, 2022
Hong Kong Dog Rescue

Hong Kong Dog Rescue’s mission to save shelter dogs across the city

May 15, 2022

Here’s a sneak peek of the Google’s AR glasses

May 12, 2022

Meet Live Zero, Hong Kong’s first zero waste bulk store

May 8, 2022

South African singer and actor MsLolo on infusing Hong Kong with African culture

May 6, 2022

Hong Kong’s Sustainabl. shows how small changes can have a big impact

May 1, 2022

Hong Kong’s Anaphe is much more than another dress on a hanger

April 30, 2022

World-class fashion photographer Frederic Auerbach talks to us about his journey into NFTs

April 24, 2022

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TMS NEWSLETTER

By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy

The Millennial Source Ltd. 2021

No Result
View All Result
  • Your daily briefing
  • About us
  • Explore
    • Startups
    • Climate change
    • Tech giants
    • Crypto
    • The future of work
    • Banking giants
    • Economy
  • Lifestyle
  • TMS archives
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy & Terms

© 2022 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

string(24) "jsonld single post debug"
The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.