HOW TO ACHIEVE YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Get MORE out of 2023. 

Cliché? Yes. Effective? Definitely. 

The start of a new year calls for one thing: New Year’s resolutions. Like most, you’ve probably already set your goals for the year. That’s a great first step, but now the real challenge comes knocking on your door: sticking to it.  

Sticking to your goals requires a lot of discipline, motivation, and the right mindset. And it’s not comfortable. Most people already give up on their resolutions during the second week of January, but we’re making sure you are going to be one of the few who stick to their goals! We created a step-by-step plan on how to set your New Year’s resolutions AND achieve them. Follow the steps below and make 2023 your best year yet! 

Step 1 Know what you really want

No matter what your goals are this year, they should all have one thing in common: It’s something that YOU really want. More often than not, people set their goals based on what they think they ‘should‘ achieve. But check again: Is this really what you desire? So, for example, you feel like you should:

• quit smoking.
• exercise more.
• eat healthier.
• meditate more.
• save money.

If you don’t desire to quit these habits but do it because you feel like you have to, you’re setting up for failure. Don’t make it harder than it has to be and set your goals based on what you desire. That’s how you set up for success. P.S. It’s more fun too!

Step 2 Make your goal positive

Positivity is key for New Year’s resolutions. A goal is often created when you’re unsatisfied and looking to make a change. For example, you want to: experience less stress, lose weight or spend less money. 

These goals all focus on things you are trying to get rid of. Negatively formulating your goals makes your unconscious focus on the things that you don’t want. Which results in daily reminders of dissatisfaction, probably making you end up feeling demotivated. Goodbye New Year’s resolutions. 

Instead, let’s flip it around and focus on the positive! This is how we do it: 

X Why this is your goal? 

✔ What do you want to achieve with this goal? 

Focus on the positive results you’re looking to achieve and create your goals around that. It’s effective and way more fun. Some examples:

• “I want to be less stressed” turns into “I want to relax more”.
• “I want to stop feeling overweight” turns into “I want to fit back into my clothes from last summer”.
• “I want to spend less money” turns into ‘”I want to save €2000″.

Step 3 Create Specific And Concrete Goals

Setting unclear New Year’s resolutions is an easy way out. ‘Save more money, procrastinate less, or redecorate my house’ are all nice resolutions, but what do they really mean? Is there a concrete result you’re aiming for? If not, how will you know if you reached your goal? We’re here to tell you, vague resolutions are most likely to fail, sorry not sorry! 

 Make sure your goals are specific and concrete. When setting a new goal, get crystal clear on what it is you want to achieve, why you want to do it, and how you’re going to get there. More specific = more results 😉 

For example: “In order to feel more relaxed, I will keep Monday and Wednesday evenings off, so I can dedicate these hours to me-time. Read a book on Mondays, work out on Wednesdays” 

When doing this, it’s much easier to keep your eyes on the price. And you’ll know when you’ve reached your goal. It doesn’t get more motivating than that. Trust us!

Step 4 It is achievable?

Go big or… let us stop you there. This is not the case when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. If you set your goals too high, chances are you’ll get overwhelmed and demotivated. Take it easy, step by step. 

For example: When competing in a marathon, you build up first. You start by training for a 3 km run. As soon as you’ve mastered that, you can level up to a 5 km run, then 7,5 km, etc. This is how you make your goal achievable and realistic. The good news? You can do this with ANY goal! And you get to celebrate your successes along the way. Champagne? Anyone?

Step 5 Make an action plan

Time to make a plan! What is needed to reach your set goals? Write down all the steps required to get to where you want to be. Yes, even the tiny ones. You’ll have a clear action plan before you know it! 

For the marathon example, the first two steps could be:

1. Buy new running shoes
2. Find a running coach.

Pretty easy right?

Step 6 Set a deadline

To set yourself up for success, you need a deadline. It helps to keep yourself accountable and places a clear dot on your horizon to work towards. So, mark your calendar! We’re counting down the days.  

Didn’t reach your deadline? No worries, it happens to the best. Don’t give up, but reschedule your deadline instead. Keep going, and remember, progress over perfection! 

Step 7 Reward yourself and celebrate!

H*LL YEAH, you did it! Reaching your goal is the ultimate reward, but it won’t hurt to spoil yourself a little more. What will be waiting for you at the finish line? It can be something small or big, up to you 😉 Your favorite iced latte, a tropical vacation, or something you’ve been wanting to buy? Whatever your treat is: You deserve it! 

Now, are you ready to crush your 2023 goals?