As we counted down to the new year, many people crafted the perfect new year’s resolution. Whether it was to get in shape, read 3 books a month, or get out of debt, everyone has goals for what they want to accomplish in the next year.
Your New Year’s Resolution may start to feel like more of a New Year’s day dream. Now as we are into the new year, many may feel that they may have aimed too high, and just give up altogether. Research shows 43% of people expect to give up their New Year’s resolutions by February.
Hope isn’t lost! With a few tweaks, and dash of goal setting you can revive and accomplish your new year’s resolution with these easy tips.
Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals
So why do some many people struggle with sticking to their resolutions? One reasons is over ambitious goals. Goals and resolutions fail because they are too daunting of a task with no steps in the middle. You wouldn’t try to climb Mt. Everest without hiking once before!
The best way to stick to resolutions? Set SMART goals! SMART goals are easy to plan, stick to and accomplish because of their planning. A better plan leads to better and accomplished goals!
SMART stands for:
- S – Specific (or Significant).
- M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
- A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
- R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
- T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
By using these tips you can create a big picture goal, for example lose 50 pounds by 2023, and break it down into actionable measurable steps to make it a reality. You can set milestones throughout the year, and daily steps, to ensure you stay on track and get closer to your goal.
Creating measurable goals that are time bound keeps you focused on your plan, or goal that you can accomplish. If your goal is to read more, creating a goal and scheduling to read 30 minutes a week will guide you to completing this task.
So you want to set and stick to your 2022 resolution? Make your resolution SMART! If you have a goal you haven’t accomplished yet in 2022, or have struggled with starting, revive your resolution as a SMART goal!
Create A Routine
Routines are one of the fastest ways to get a new goal or lifestyle to stick to. Whether it’s exercise, or reading more, a daily routine will lead to long term change. One way to accomplish your 2022 resolutions is to create a daily routine.
Many resolutions are habit based, which means setting and keeping to a daily routine is more important than ever. According to a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit. The study also concluded that, on average, it takes 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic.
No matter your resolution, daily goals and routine can make a huge difference. Here are some of the tips you need to know for setting a new routine:
Tip For Creating A New Routine
- Have A Reason, And Be Reasonable
- Pick Habits That Work Together
- Plan and Schedule For Your New Habits (Time Them Too)
- Stay Ahead Of the Schedule
- Track your Progress
Similar to creating a SMART goal, a daily routine has to be obtainable. So if you are a night owl used to waking up at 11, you won’t be able to just start a whole new routine at 6 A.M. and expect it to stick. Instead you could slowly push your bedtime routine back by 15 minute intervals in order to achieve and stick to a new routine.
It’s important to plan for your habits, set reminders, and hold yourself accountable. By planning a routine that you can follow, and sticking to it, you will more easily accomplish your 2022 goals.
Reward And Celebrate Milestones
With careful planning for your goals and routine, it can be easy to lose sight of the why. While the major accomplishment may always be in view, it is important to take into account progress made and celebrate that progress. Rewarding yourself for a job well done is also shown to help reinforce plan and habit for your goal.
A study from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, found that immediate rewards are strongly associated with persistence in a long-term goal, despite a delayed reward being the underlying motivation. While an alluring end-goal in the distant future might be motivating at first, over time it may become more difficult to conceptualise. The solution, this study suggests, is to introduce immediate rewards into the process.
The study recommends engaging in activities that offer both immediate and delayed rewards during pursuit. So, if you pick a fun workout and add music to your routine, you are more likely to stick with the program long-term.
Additionally, in a study from the Harvard Business Review, the more you reflect on progress the more likely you are to be motivated. Steps forward occurred on 76% of people’s best-mood days. On progress days, people were more intrinsically motivated—by interest in and enjoyment of the work itself.
So how can you use rewards to hit your resolutions? By setting rewards for milestones and progress, you not only can motivate yourself to stay on track, but find the progress more enjoyable. By injecting small rewards for progress into your routine you can sustain the motivation needed to accomplish your larger goals.
Summary
While many new year resolutions fail, there is no reason to give up on life long dreams. No matter your goals for the new year, with the right plan habits and rewards you can accomplish your resolutions.
Here are 3 Ways to Accomplish Your 2022 Resolutions:
- Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals
- Create A Routine
- Reward And Celebrate Milestones
What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?
