I love making new year’s resolutions and setting goals for a new and improved ME. After the first two weeks, it gets hard to stick to these goals, though. Life and all the responsibilities start getting in the way. According to Forbes, only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Moreover, not achieving the new year’s resolutions can increase your anxiety. 

In my experience, New Years’ goal setting isn’t for a complete 360 on your life. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s behavior and make positive behavior changes in the coming year. This year, I am focusing on making small behavior changes towards a big goal in a particular area of my life. According to Psychology Today, this approach will make the resolutions more realistic and easier to sprinkle throughout the year. Here are a few tips to keep your new year’s resolutions.

Dream Big- Big audacious goals are motivating. Don’t shy away from big goals. The key is to focus on one or two big goals in a year and particular areas of your life. For example, set a big goal for your health like training for a marathon or triathlon and a big goal for your financial future to have a certain amount of savings by year-end. Both these goals are specific and aim at two significant areas in your life. Ambitious goals are not only good for you, but they will inspire others around you. You might end up building a big support group of people who want to see you win.

Think Small- Now think small. The big dream will have to be broken down into small steps. Small steps will keep the big dream manageable without overwhelming you. Start with foolproof measures like for marathon running it could be just walking 10 minutes every day, buying a pair of running shoes, and creating a playlist for running. I love making lists of steps to do. Lists of steps, starting with the most doable ones, will give you the confidence to continue. 

Commit Yourself – Accountability is the single most crucial incentive for action. I like to keep myself accountable by entering a contract with myself and sticking the signed contract on my vanity’s mirror. You can get a family member involved to hold you responsible for your goal. There are many ways to create a commitment device. Stickk is one such platform. You can create your goal, assign it a timeline and a penalty. Another way is to pledge your resolution on social media and share your journey throughout the year.

One Step at a Time- Trying to conquer all the steps on your checklist simultaneously is going to be daunting. Soon you will lose motivation and fall back on old habitual patterns. An easy way to get to the big dream is to focus on one small step at a time. A small habit change will lead to a bigger change over time. 

Celebrate Small Wins- Don’t wait to celebrate till you’ve crossed the finish line. Behavior changes are progressive.  Encourage yourself to keep at it by observing a win each time you complete a step. Every small step in this long journey counts. For example, schedule some ME time or get a manicure for logging in 5 miles the first time.

Team Effort Counts- Share your goals with friends and family members. Ask them for support and make them part of your team. Often, we fail because our environment, which our family and friends dictate, isn’t conducive to keeping our resolutions. When you ask your circle of people for help, you make them part of the goal. Tell them precisely what help looks like to achieve your goal. If you can’t get help from your immediate circle, consider seeking professional help. Psychologists understand the connection between the mind and body and can recommend helpful strategies to achieve your goals. 

Offer Thanks- Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. Any amount of progress is better than none. Sometimes you might even go backward. It’s okay! Please don’t beat yourself up for it. If your goal is a 40-minute workout, but you only squeezed in 10-minutes, be grateful for the 10 minutes. You showed up, and that counts. Practicing gratitude will acknowledge that you are giving it your best. In the long run, that’s what matters.

Dream big, think small, take one step at a time, and practicing gratitude will help you keep your new year’s resolutions way past the first few weeks of January.