Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution and once the New Year began your resolution flew out the window? Well—join the rest of the world. You are not alone. Making resolutions is the easy part. The hard part is keeping them.
It can be very difficult with life’s challenges. You never know how your day will unfold, let alone an entire year. Here are some tips on how to ease your New Year resolutions into the New Year early.
Write a list
Take some time to reflect on the past year and think about things you want to change or areas in which you want to improve. If you’ve had a New Year’s resolution that you haven’t been able to accomplish, that should be at the top of your list.
Practice makes perfect
Starting early on a task is the best way to eliminate procrastination. The more you put it off, the easier your bad habit solidifies into your everyday routine. Practicing good habits before your New Year deadline will make the change less extreme.
Try to do a little a day so that it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. Research shows that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Take it one day at a time and keep your eyes on the prize. Before you know it you’ll be at the finish line looking back saying, “That wasn’t so hard after all.”
Reflect
So—you’ve made your list and you put that list into practice. What could possibly be next? Well, everyone has moments when they falter. Beside each goal you want to accomplish, write down why. Look back at the list during your moments of weakness or when you feel like you’re sliding back into your old ways. It will make you remember why you started. Keep going!
