How To Make Effective New Year’s Resolutions

Look, I know I haven’t posted on here in a while, but one of my new year’s resolutions is to post more so I’m starting with this guide, cause if there’s one thing I’m good at it’s sticking to new year resolutions.

Tip №1: Do something you care about

Don’t write “go to the gym” if you know you’re not actually interested in losing weight or getting fit. Don’t write “read more” if you don’t even like reading. Make your resolutions something you actually would like to do, and can see yourself doing.

Throughout this post I’m gonna be using ‘going to the gym’ as my example resolution, but these tips are of course useable for all kinds of resultions.

Tip №2: Make them measurable

“Go to the gym” isn’t gonna cut it. Instead, write something like “Go to the gym at least 2-3 hours every week”. Setting clear goals will always be more effective, as you know what you have to do. Otherwise, how do you know you’ve reached your goal? 

Tip №3: Make a tracker

You can make a tracker for “Go to the gym at least 2-3 hours every week” by making a grid of 2 squares for every week of the year. By colouring them in each time, you can visualize your progress, and therefore use it as motivation. Seeing you’ve already exercised for 12 hours is gonna feel a lot more accomplishing than knowing you’ve exercised for 6 weeks, even though it’s the same thing.

Tip №4: Use a curve

Don’t immediately start with “Go to the gym for 1 hour every day”. You’ll be tired of doing so because you aren’t used to it, and will give up faster. So instead, set a first stage amount, second stage amount, third stage amount, ect.

So with the gym resolution, start with 2 hours every week, then 4 hours every week, then 30 minutes a day, then 1 hour a day, 2 hours a day, ect. See what I’m getting at?

Tip №5: Share your resolutions

If a friend knows your goal, or even better; has the same goal, it’s easier to stick to it. This is also why a lot of people tend to go to the gym with a friend. It’s easier to give up on a goal or habit if you don’t have anyone to hold you accountable. If you stop, your friend will have to go to the gym alone, and you wouldn’t want that, right? 

Tip №6: Forgive yourself

So you didn’t go to the gym for two hours this week, but instead only went for 1 hour? Forgive yourself. It’s better to forgive yourself for this one failure to completely give up all together. 

Tip №7: Reward yourself

Need an external motivator? That’s totally fine. Make some rules for yourself. “If I don’t miss more than 2 hours at the gym this month, I can go get my favourite scented candle at bath and bodyworks”. Pick something you would like as a reward for reaching your goal, and stick to it!

Note: don’t give yourself your reward if you didn’t stick to your rule. To stick to the candle example, if I bought a candle anyway even though I didn’t stick to my rule, is there really a penalty for not skipping more than 2 hours of exercise? Hold yourself accountable and don’t cheat!

And those were my tips! If you’re looking for some example resolutions, I have a post of my resolutions up on my blog, or you can click the link right here to go to that post directly. 

And if you want, please let me know what your resolutions are! Maybe we have some in common and we can keep one another accountable too!

If you want to know the key to making effective new year’s resolutions and how to stick to them, I have a post on that topic on my blog, or you can go to the post directly by clicking this link.

• Use less single use plastic (starting with straws and cups, later also toothbrushes, self care products and lunchbags for school)
  
• Go to the gym/exercise at least 2 hours every week
• Study at least 30 minutes every day
• Post on Tumblr at least once every week (reblogs don’t count)
• Read at least one book every month

As described in the post I mentioned earlier, these are starting goals. Later on I can up the amount of hours/books/tumblr posts.

What are your resolutions for this year? Let me know in the comments, send an ask, or dm me!