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.

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We mostly take gratitude for granted in day-to-day life. Gratitude practice should be to appreciate and focus on what we have instead of what we lack. There is a lot to be grateful for, from the big things like good health, a passionate career, and a supportive family to the small things like sending a short text to a friend or hearing a compliment from a co-worker.
Being thankful can help you have the many benefits of practicing gratitude.

Sign a Gratitude Practice Contract
Make a contract with yourself and sign it. Commit to notice your blessings and give thanks for the next 21 days. Write down why you accepted this challenge and what you wish to gain from it.

List three things you are grateful for
Notice three things about yourself that you are proud of and express gratitude for them. If you’d like to share the list on your social media with friends and family.

Be thankful for someone in your life
Express your gratitude to someone special in your life. Maybe it’s your partner, a parent, or a mentor. Give them a call, and appreciate their support.

Be thankful for something negative in your life
Think of a hard time or situation you had to go through. Be grateful for it. Think of what you learned from the experience and how you came out stronger from it.

Send a card to someone
Send a thank you card to a friend or co-worker today. You are sure to put a smile on someone’s face and make their day with the card.

Donate to a good cause
Fund a charity of your choice. Giving is an excellent way to be thankful for your blessings.

Say what you are grateful for today
See the beauty in each day. It’s up to us how we see the day. Say what you are thankful for today.

Look in the mirror and see how beautiful you are!
We are often our own worst critics. Stand in front of the mirror and scan your body from head to toe. Notice how beautiful you are to this Mother Earth. Name three things you are grateful for. When you look in the mirror, be appreciative of all the things your body allows you to do daily.

Bake a treat to share with friends and co-workers
Who doesn’t like goodies? Bake a treat and make extras for neighbors, friends, and co-workers. Could you drop them off or bring them to work?

Try gratitude meditation
Try and meditate with the mantra of what you are grateful for in life. It’s a simple and easy way to remind yourself of your blessings.

Take stock of your blessings
In your gratitude journal, write something you are thankful for and has nothing to do with money. It’s just something money can’t buy, like the love of your family, the feeling of accomplishment after a hard workout, or your friends. You are sure to find many things in your life that cost nothing but are priceless.

Call a friend
It always feels nice to catch up with friends, especially those you haven’t been in touch with for a while. Call a friend and tell them how their friendship means a lot to you. Be thankful for that friend in your life.

Pick one of your five senses to be grateful for
Tap into your five senses. Write down what you like about each of your senses and offer thanks for those.

See the world through the eyes of a child
Children have authenticity, vulnerability, laughter, tears, and pure joy that they indulge in. Try to live a day with a child’s heart. Feel your heart soften and welcome all the emotions into your heart.

Write down five things you love about yourself
Today love yourself more by focusing on at least five things that you like about yourself. Write them down in your journal.

Let a car merge in front of you
Let a car merge in front of you. It’s a simple act of kindness. They might be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Don’t complain today. Be positive!
Even if we have positive attitude, we all complain sometimes without even realizing it. Having an attitude of gratitude helps us to enjoy life fully. Try to look at things with a different perspective.

Forgive someone
Practice forgiveness today. Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting and reconciliation. It’s about your heart. When you haven’t forgiven someone, you feel anger, resentment, vengefulness, and hurt. These emotions will keep you trapped and aren’t good for you. Forgiveness is the practice of letting go of pain and moving forward.

Be kind to yourself
Try to go throughout the day without saying something negative towards yourself. Replace all negative thoughts about yourself with positive thoughts.

List your accomplishments
Write in your journal about the accomplishments that you are proud of. Celebrate your accomplishments today.

Write a thank you note to someone who deserves recognition
Thank someone who has made a great impact in your life. It could be a mentor, teacher, or a person who impacted your life positively. If you can’t thank them in person, write a letter. You can sleep on it and decide later if you want to send the letter.

Save the 21-Day gratitude challenge calendar and practice it for the next 21 days.

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