New Year's Resolutions: Sticking It Out

It’s that time again. With the new year around the corner we’re all reflecting on what worked last year and what didn’t.  It’s common practice to make resolutions for the new year, whether they’re business goals or personal ones, but as well all know, most people drop their New Year’s resolutions by the time February rolls around. For those of you who’d like things to end differently next time around, we’d like to offer a little help. 

First of all, change one thing at a time. After reflecting on everything you wish you could go back and change, it can seem like the best thing to do is eliminate everything that created a negative outcome. On the contrary, having a laundry list of things to change just overwhelms you; you’re setting yourself up for failure. Then, if you fall off the wagon, it’s all the more disappointing.

Sometimes the process of making resolutions for the new year borders the line between constructive criticism and self deprecation. While it’s important to be aware of how you or your business could stand to improve, focusing on the negative can turn an opportunity for growth into a chore. Approach your resolution with the mindset that you’re excited for the changes to come. If you’re enjoying the experience of making the change, you’ll stick it out until you reach your goal.

If you’re looking for ideas for staying positive in the new year, check out BuzzFeed’s idea for the “Rememberlutions” jar. Throughout the year, each time you experience something great jot it down and drop it in the jar. This time next year, instead of focusing on all the negative things you’d would like to change, you’ll be celebrating all the amazing things that happened to you.

Finally, after you’ve made your resolution, share it with someone else. Finding someone encouraging is ideal so that if you’re feeling discouraged you’ve got a support system to help keep you on track. Even if it’s not necessarily for the support, sometimes just the fact that you’ve told someone else helps keep you accountable for your results because someone other than yourself will notice if you’ve been slacking off.

So what do you think? Do you have any tips for sticking to your resolutions? 

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