Resolutions Have Power: Here’s How You Can Harness Them
People have a love-hate relationship with New Year’s resolutions. Some people think of them as meaningless promises that you’re not going to fulfill, while others make a list of resolutions, then get disappointed when they aren’t fulfilled. Neither of these two are a good way to look at life. Resolutions, when done right, can change your life for the better, but you have to learn how to use their power. Here are some ways you can do so.
Have a Plan
Many resolutions end up unfulfilled because they don’t have any cogent plan. We aren’t saying you have to write in excruciating detail about how you need to reach your goal, but you should have at least a skeleton of a plan. Unless your plan is something simple like cutting cable, you need details. Want to invest in classic cars? Why not do some research and figure out where you can buy them and how to get them for cheap?
With that said, remember that not every plan will be stuck to 100 percent, and it’s okay for a plan to change.
Hold Yourself Accountable
Many people don’t fulfill their resolutions because they have no accountability. The best accountability they have is to self-flagellate a little should their resolution fail, but they don’t have anything besides that. Here are some ways to hold yourself more accountable.
- A bet. Bet with your friend or family member that you’ll fulfill your resolution. You can bet money, or something else. It’s a silly, yet great way to be more accountable.
- Talk to a professional. Quite often, we lack the self-discipline to be accountable, and a therapist or counselor can help. A therapist is skilled in psychology and knows ways to help with any self-doubts or accountability issues that we may have. Talk to one and see what they can do for you.
- Have a schedule. Use an app on your phone to remind you when to take action.
- Is there a friend who has a similar goal? Having a resolution buddy can keep you accountable. For example, you can have a workout buddy to make you want to visit the gym more.
These are just a few ways to keep yourself accountable for a resolution. Another thing you can do is to set a reminder every month with your goals, and give people some progress. Be honest about your progress. If you are progressing nicely, that’s great. If your goals need work, think about how you can fix this.
Keep Your Goals Realistic
Often, we fail our resolutions because our goals are a little unrealistic. We should have goals that challenge us, but we often make goals that are almost impossible.
If you are obese, you probably aren’t going to turn into an Olympic bodybuilder within a month. If you are working at a fast food job, you probably won’t have a 6-figure income at the end of the year. However, if your goal is to lose a certain amount of pounds or make a real advancement in your career, that is much more tangible.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up Too Much Over Failure
While you should be accountable, you shouldn’t be too harsh should your resolution not pan out completely by the end of the year. This can prevent you from making any further promises, and that’s not a good thing. You should have some goals in mind, after all. After the year has ended, think about some ways you could have improved yourself, and think of a way you can do so in the future.
Don’t Wait for a New Year to Do It
A new year can be symbolic in many ways. It feels like the start of a clean slate, and this is why many people will use it as an excuse to make a resolution. However, your goals should be year-round. Don’t wait for next year to make a change; do it now and don’t look back. The fact that it’s a new year is just the icing on the cake, in our humble opinions.
What is your resolution? How can you reach it with style? We wouldn’t mind hearing from you.