How to stay committed to new goals
By Tracey Squaire
It’s the start of a new year which is a time when people are ready for changes. It’s a time when people make promises to themselves, but it’s also a time when many people make promises they know they are unlikely to keep.
Some of the common resolutions people make at the start of a new year are things such as losing weight, eating healthy or developing better study habits. While these are admirable goals, only 8% of people in America succeed in completing their New Year’s resolution, according to statisticbrain.com.
If you are one such person who has made a New Year’s resolution, but you are afraid of giving up or failing, there are some things you can do to ensure you are among the elite 8% of Americans.
First of all, actually make a resolution. The experts over at statisticbrain.com reported that those who stated exactly what it is they wanted to achieve were ten times more likely to complete their goals than those who didn’t.
When stating a resolution, don’t be vague. If you want to lose weight, make a specific goal such as “I want to lose 15 pounds in 90 days.” If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, it will be harder to work towards that goal.
One thing to keep in mind is to make your goal realistic and achievable. Saying that you want to get a body like Ariana Grande in two months is probably not achievable. If you try to work towards something like that, you’ll likely get discouraged and give up.
The next thing to do is to actually start working towards your goal. This may seem like an obvious step, but some people tend to make a plan and not actually go through with it. If you are having trouble getting motivated, think about why exactly you made your resolution in the first place.
Make a plan for how you will achieve your goal. It’s all well and good to say you want to eat healthy, but you can’t do that if you’re splitting an extra large, five cheese pizza with one of your friends because you got hungry at school.
If your goal is one such as eating healthy, plan ahead and prepare a healthy lunch to take to school with you or pack a healthy snack to avoid making an impulsive trip to the vending machine. Planning not only gets you to stay focused on your goal, but it helps you to keep track of exactly what you’re eating.
Set a schedule for yourself to work on things at certain times. If you make your goals a part of your daily life, you will be more likely to stick to them. You’re less likely to waste an hour browsing Imgur when you’ve already scheduled a workout for that hour.
Setting a date by which you want to have achieved your goal is also vital. If your goal is to be better at studying so you get a better grade, you don’t want to make your “succeed by” date in the middle of summer.
Motivation is important. If your goal is to develop better study habits, you probably care about your grades and your future. If succeeding in work or school is what motivates you, keep those things in mind when you’re feeling discouraged. Think about how the habits you develop for yourself now will help you not only in your school career, but also in your work career.
Consider relying on others to help you keep on track. If you want to study more often, join a study group. If you want to be healthier, join a health club. Just don’t rely on these things to keep you on the road towards your goals.
Ultimately, the only person who can help you succeed is you. Following these tips will help you stay on track, but the will to achieve your goals can only come from inside.