5 Tips to Make New Year's Resolutions Stick

Happy New Year! Here we are at the beginning of another new year. While most of us have, at minimum, a healthy skepticism about the new year and what it might bring, many of us are using it as a fresh start. If you're looking to harness the energy of the new year and achieve some goals, read on for five tips to help you along the way.

1. Make it Work for Your Life: So let's say your new year's resolution is to hike Mount Kilimanjaro, but you live in a flat area with no hills nearby, you have a really demanding job that can have an unpredictable schedule, and you're scared of heights. Maybe this isn't the goal for you! Take a non-judgmental survey of your life and your resolutions: do they fit together? If the answer to this question is no, remember it's not personal. Your goal should work for you just as much as you'll work for it.

2. Start Small: It's really tempting for many of us to go whole-hog on the new year: stock the fridge with only vegetables and fruits, work out every single day, save twice as much per paycheck, or vow to read a book a week... but is this realistic? While it can be helpful to have a big goal, it's equally important to break it into smaller pieces. Zoom out on your goal and ask yourself what the resolution is working towards. If your goal is to "be healthier", the answer doesn't need to be killing yourself in the gym every day. You can also contribute to your health by going on a walk, drinking more water, or prioritizing sleep 2 nights/week.

3. Get Support: Making change is hard. Making lasting change under the crushing weight of a global pandemic is even harder. Be kind to yourself and ask for help when you need it. New Year's resolutions aren't meant to live in a vacuum: enlist the support of friends, families, partners, and co-workers. For example, if your goal is to save more money in 2022, talk to your partner about ways to save money like cooking a new meal at home together or taking advantage of a free porch concert as a date. If your goal is to read more books, ask a friend about exchanging books or starting a book club together.

4. Address Underlying Issues: It's a week into the new year and the surge of energy has waned a little. You're trying to eat healthier but you're noticing a pattern: you have the intention to make yourself a healthy dinner but right before work ends for the day, your co-worker calls with an SOS on their project. Or your partner needs a ride to their friend's house for band practice. The first time this happened, you figured "eh, life happens". But now it's starting to seem like a pattern, one you can't change. Counseling, journaling, and mindfulness can be useful tools in breaking unhelpful patterns in your life by addressing the underlying issue. This one takes a bit of time and work, but it's an effective way to make lasting change.

5. Have Fun: Some days you're going to jump out of bed ready to tackle your resolution, but let's be honest, other days you're going to want to hit snooze on this goal. The most important part of New Year's resolutions is to make sure it's something you enjoy. Like music? Try your hand at a new instrument or learn how to sing. Enjoy movement? Pick a new exercise to try this year (there are plenty of free options on Youtube: yoga , strength training, dance). Whatever your resolution is, big or small, make sure it's something you like to do and have fun doing. A professional football player probably loves playing on Sunday night, but the majority of their time is not spent playing the game of football. It's spent practicing, training, watching tape, and talking with coaches. Enjoy the process of learning something new or developing an interest rather than focusing on the outcome.

It's a new year and that might have you ready to tackle some resolutions. If you want to make sure those goals last well beyond February, don't forget to: make it something that fits with your life, break it into smaller goals, enlist your community for support, address any underlying issues that come up with a professional, and, most importantly, have fun and enjoy the journey!