5 Tips To UpHold Your Resolutions For The New Year

New Year’s Resolutions come and go. Some we keep, some we don’t. In order to make lasting changes in our lives, we must first change our minds. – Elizabeth Thornton

I can’t believe we are already in our last week of January, which means 2022 is in full effect. Our goals have been created, vision boards constructed, and we are ready to manifest our way through the remainder of the year. I always find it amusing how many of us commit to making changes during this season. You know, the” new year, new me” syndrome that we all can’t seem to shake around January. We begin writing goals and even go as far as hosting parties solely to share these resolutions. It is as if we wholeheartedly believe that because the calendar year is changing, so must we.

Don’t get me wrong; I am from the school of thought that a new year is a perfect opportunity to give yourself a fresh start. However, a part of me detests how much society sensationalizes the idea of new year resolutions, especially seeing that some of us, if not most, don’t make it past February without a little taste of defeat. You can drive by the now empty gym parking lots, to see just what I am referring to.

We are one month into the year, and some of us may have already fallen short of the goals we set for ourselves. I, for one, know that I have. One of my goals this year is to fold my laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. Needless to say, there is a pile of clothes staring at me every time I walk past the laundry room.

Failing to maintain a new year’s resolution before the year has truly begun can feel like a huge letdown, but the reality is we don’t need a new year to gain a fresh start. Every day is a unique chance and opportunity to correct whatever shortcomings we may have. It takes more than wanting a change and writing it down; we must put forth continuous effort if we’re going to see our goals come to fruition.

Often times we expect growth without being intentional about creating habits that will facilitate the life we want to live. 

This year I am making the conscious decision to commit to the resolutions I set in place. It is easy to feel burnout and discouraged when you realize you aren’t accomplishing what you set out to do. In most cases, the feeling of discouragement can be easily avoided.

This year I am aiming to succeed at all the goals I’ve set, and I want you to as well. Here are five tips I’ve implemented to ensure that I carry out each of my new year’s resolutions for 2022.

1. Manage Your Expectations

By far, this is the most important rule of them all. It is important to remember the age-old saying that Rome was not built in a day. When setting resolutions, it is important to remain realistic and set attainable goals. For example, if you are starting a business from the ground up, it would be unwise to set a goal of 1 million dollars in sales for your first year. Is it possible? Sure. Anything is possible. Is it likely that you’ll meet that goal within your first year? Probably not.

Managing your expectations and setting realistic goals is an easy way to avoid defeat. By no means am I saying to sell yourself short. We should always set goals that challenge and force us to step out of our comfort zone to grow. However, just like a caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly overnight, there are levels to this. Sometimes we set resolutions with the end goal in mind and fail to set goals for the necessary steps that will eventually lead us to the destination. Conquer your New Year’s resolutions by managing your expectations and celebrating the small wins along the way.

2. Don’t Pivot

It is so easy to want to give up once we’ve failed to maintain one of our resolutions. One of the reasons I don’t romanticize the idea of New Year’s resolutions is because these resolutions always feel great. After all, it’s a new year, but what happens when old habits from last year start to creep in. You may feel like just saying “forget this” and revert to your always.

When I started dieting, I always preferred to start on a Monday because it was the beginning of the week. However, if I fell off during the week, instead of starting over the next day, I would wait until the following Monday to start over. Every day is a new day and a new opportunity to do better than the day before. If you fail, dust yourself off and try again. A lot of our goals fall by the wayside due to disappointment. To be successful at accomplishing our resolutions, we must understand that failure is just as much a part of the process as success. It doesn’t matter if we are 11 days or 11 months into the year; every day is an opportunity to be a better version of ourselves.

3. Share Your Goals With Loved Ones

Accountability is vital. I love vision board parties because it allows us to openly declare our wants, needs, and goals for the year. It also allows others to hold us accountable for accomplishing them. Having a person in your corner who genuinely wants to see you succeed is a great way to ensure you achieve your goals for the year.

4. Surround Yourself With Positive Boosters

Everyone on social media has been big on affirmations and manifestation lately. Although it can sound cliche, what we tell ourselves is important. Whatever we feed our minds will inevitably impact us. Intentionally surrounding ourselves with positive, motivating boosters is a great way to keep motivated to accomplish our goals. Starting your mornings by reading your Bible or a good book is a great way to start the day on the right foot. How you start your day impacts the trajectory of your day, which will impact the course of your week, which will affect your month, and eventually your year.

There are multiple apps that can send you daily affirmations throughout the day; my personal favorite is the Motivation App. Sometimes when I find myself lost in my thoughts or stressed out from the day, the Motivation App will send me a timely reinforcement. I also began listening to a few podcasts to get me through the day while I work. I’ve found that surrounding myself with positive boosters helps me feel motivated and inspired to accomplish my goals. I strongly recommend implementing this into your day-to-day life. You will see just how impactful words and how motivated you feel to crush those resolutions.

5. Take a Break

Taking a break is essential to our mental well-being. Speaking from experience, when trying to accomplish a goal, I often get so wrapped up and end up overworking myself. If I am not constantly doing something towards achieving my goals, it is easy for me to feel like I am unproductive.No one can run 24/7 and be productive. In order to show up as our best selves, we need to take breaks. Taking a break allows us to reset, refresh, and examine where we are. Perhaps a goal that we set out at the beginning of the year is no longer something we wish to accomplish. Taking a break allows us to prevent burnout from having the motivation and energy to achieve our goals.

Setting new year resolutions allows us to examine where we are in life, what we hope to achieve, and the steps we need to complete them. It is easy to feel discouraged if your plans are not going the way you had projected. However, it is essential to remember that there is beauty is in the destination. We learn so much about ourselves through the process, so don’t give up!

I hope my five tips to help you uphold your resolutions for the new year gave you a new perspective and the motivation you need to succeed in 2022. I firmly believe that we learn so much from each other. Is there anything you are doing this year to help keep you on track to accomplish your goal? I’d love to know! Let me know in the comments below!