The story of the New Years Resolution is nothing new; you say, for instance, you’re going to go to the gym every day, you do so for a week, then school or work gets in the way and you fall out of it. It is something that we have all faced before, so here are a few helpful tips to help stick to your New Years resolution, and hit 2020 stronger than any other year before it. 

1. Keep a journal

The big fault that keeps on coming back to bite people when it comes to New Years resolutions is the factor of accountability. Many people don’t keep themselves in check, allowing missed days in the gym, or skipping on their daily reading.

A journal, such as a small spiral one or a composition book, is cheap, can be found at almost any store, and offers a physical form of self responsibility. The benefits don’t end their however. A journal can help you keep track of weights you can lift, chapters you are one, foods you have been eating, and countless more. It is simple, hardly time-consuming, easy to keep up with and offers a simple solution to the problem of accountability. 

2. Find a buddy 

Another way to hold yourself responsible for fulfilling those life changes is to find a friend to undergo the journey with you! Finding a friend to accompany you as you attempt to better yourself means you’re adding an entire other personality to keep you on track.

Don’t want to wake up to go to the gym? Your gym buddy can call you and make sure you’re there. Falling behind on your daily caloric intake? Call your buddy and cook some meal preps together. Missed your scripture reading? Catch up with your friend and double up.

You can hold your friend accountable for what they want to accomplish, and they can do the same for you. Finding a New Years resolution buddy to go about the changes with has all the benefits of a journal, while also adding another layer of motivation and personality to accomplish your goals. 

3. Keep your goals realistic. 

One of the biggest points of contention with achieving a New Years resolution is that, many times, people set up unrealistic expectations for themselves to achieve. Going to the gym for 2 hours every day, or reading one book a week, or cooking for yourself every single day, is not a realistic resolution for someone in college to achieve.

Because of this, if you set these goals and don’t meet them, a sense of disappointment settles in and discourage some from continuing on with their personal goals.

Instead of setting these incredibly high watermarks, set a realistic goal for yourself to accomplish. It should be one that challenges you to push yourself, but is also realistic enough to be attained in a reasonable amount of time.

Going to the gym 4 days a week, limiting yourself to 3 fried meals a week, and reading a chapter of a book every day is far more realistic, and encourages you to push yourself at the same time. Know yourself, know your limits, and set goals in conjunction with those limits. 

4. Go into your resolutions confidently. 

This point plays along with realistic goals, and helps you accomplishing those goals. When it comes to life changes and resolutions, 90% of the process comes down to a simple mental game.

Everyone is their own harshest critic, and it often times comes from an unnecessary issue with self-confidence. Many don’t feel as thought they are strong or dedicated enough to pursue the goals that they’ve dreamed about their entire life, but the opposite is quite true.

Setting realistic goals helps, but the human spirit is so much stronger than many people realize, so you are stronger than you think. Any goal is attainable if you really set your mind to it, so get to changing your life!