How do you make your resolutions a success?

Every year in December, there they are again: good intentions. At the end of the year, we all feel the need to improve our lives. We want to leave bad habits behind in the old year and start the new year fresh, healthy, and full of courage. But often we don’t succeed in our resolutions. That’s why we’d like to lend a hand!

Why do resolutions so often fail?

Resolutions, as the name implies, are goals we set ourselves that should have a positive effect on our lives. Good resolutions are often about living healthier or achieving goals. And many of us set them every year, full of hope – yet every year, we come back to our list because we didn’t achieve them! How is that possible?

January 1st is not a magic date

Well, actually, it’s quite simple. Do you know the expression old habits die hard? It means that it’s very difficult to break habits and fixed patterns. And it is! If you’ve had an aversion to sports your entire life, have been smoking every day for 10 years, or have wanted to write a book for years, but have never taken the first step… Then chances are minimal that you can suddenly and radically change your course as soon as it’s January 1st. A new year doesn’t suddenly mean that everything is different now. It’s just a nice, symbolic moment for our mind. Nothing more.

“A new year doesn’t suddenly mean that everything is different now.”

We want too much and are too hard on ourselves

Often, we don’t succeed in making our resolutions a reality because we are too strict with ourselves and set the bar too high. You never exercise, but you resolve to go to the gym three times a week before work? Yes, you are a crazy person if you think you can keep that up.

Start small and be realistic. So let’s say… go to the gym once a week. Or walk for half an hour every day after dinner or ride your bike more often instead of driving your car. The more specific and smaller the resolution is, the easier it is to achieve. And, achieving a small success is much nicer than failing at a big goal. See? And so, if you take one small step forward for yourself, and proceed slowly, step-by-step, you’ll find it works to successfully reach your ultimate goal!

“The more specific and smaller the goal is, the easier it is to meet it.”

This is how to make your New Year’s resolutions a success:

We already mentioned it, but we’ll help you make your resolutions a success step-by-step. By following this 5-step plan, you’ll be in control of your resolutions next year!

1. Be realistic

Don’t set unrealistic goals that you have to work hard for and that do not really suit you. You don’t need to suddenly become a different person; you just want to improve yourself. You can google the most common resolutions if you need some inspiration, but don’t mindlessly follow them. Set a resolution that suits you. This will increase your chances of success.

Also read: 8 tips to develop more self-love

2. Start small

Is your goal healthier living? Then you don’t have to go to the gym and watch your diet and quit smoking and drinking alcohol and be in bed at 22:00 every day. Take it easy. Start small, so that there’s a good chance you’ll achieve the small goal and then you can keep expanding and going bigger.

“Don’t make it unnecessarily hard on yourself.”

3. Make your goal as specific as possible

It’s important not to set ridiculously big goals, and it’s just as important to be as specific as possible. Example: You want a better sex life. Then your resolution may be “I want a better sex life”, but that’s big and not really specific.

Make it something smaller, like “I want to set aside two hours every week for quality time with my partner” or “I want to try a new position or toy every month”. See, that’s specific! Focusing on specific, small parts of the larger goal will not only make it clearer, but also easier.

4. Celebrate small victories

Celebrate the victory, no matter how small! Have you been to the gym three weeks in a row? Way to go! Have you been talking to friends about writing your book and are you all motivated? Great! It doesn’t matter how small the victory is, if it is a victory, it’s beautiful!

5. Be proud of yourself

Not succeeding? Don’t worry, you can just start over. If you don’t achieve your resolution right away, don’t be disappointed in yourself. The great thing is that you can start again as often as you like! Falling down is not important, as long as you keep getting up and keep going. And, if you do, then you already have a lot to be proud of!

“Falling down is not important, as long as you keep getting up.”

What are your good intentions for 2022? Let us know in a comment!